How to Eat Dango

Mix the tofu and sweet rice flour in a clean bowl. Measure 1 cup (250 grams) of silken tofu and 1 cup (200 grams) of sweet rice flour into a bowl and mix them by hand. Continue mixing and kneading the dough until the ingredients are fully incorporated and form a soft, smooth ball of dough.^[9]

• You can buy both silken tofu and sweet rice flour at many big-name grocery stores. You could also get them from a Japanese grocery store or order them online.
• If the dough is crumbly, add a spoonful more of tofu until the consistency is smooth.
• Fix dough that is too wet by adding one spoonful of rice flour at a time until it holds together.

Separate the dough into about 30 small, round balls. Use a tablespoon to scoop out small circles of dough, and then roll them between your palms to even them out. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Place the newly formed dough balls on a clean plate.^[10]

• Try your best to keep the dough balls roughly the same size so they cook through at the same time.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stovetop. Fill the pot 1/2 way full of water and heat it over a high flame. If you need to move the pot for any reason, make sure to put on oven mitts before touching it so you don’t burn your hands.^[11]

• There’s no need to salt the water or add anything else to it.

Drop the dough balls into the boiling water. Carefully place each dough ball into the pot until the surface is covered. If you still have dough leftover that doesn’t fit, you’ll need to wait and do a second batch to avoid overcrowding the dango.^[12]

• If you’re worried about getting splashed by the hot water, you could use a slotted spoon to lower the dough balls into the pot.

Boil the dough balls and cook them for 2-3 minutes after they float. Making dango isn’t an exact science, so make sure to pay close attention to the pot so you know when they’re done. Once the balls float to the top of the water, let them cook for several additional minutes to ensure they’re cooked all the way through.^[13]

• Letting the dough cook through gives it an even consistency. If you took the dango out too soon, the middle might be very dense and unpleasant to chew.

Ladle the balls out of the water and lay them on a paper-towel-lined plate. Use a slotted spoon to gently lift each ball out of the pot. If you need to, use multiple plates to hold all the dango. The paper towels help absorb any water that is still dripping.^[14]

• You could also place the dango on a cooling rack.

Skewer 3-5 dango and lightly brown them in a non-stick frying pan. Use long wooden skewers to pierce the dango. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, then roast each skewer for about 30 seconds on each side, or until the outside of the dango gets lightly browned.^[15]

• Not everyone likes their dango fried. It helps keep them warm and can add a little texture to the outside, but it isn’t required.

Enjoy dango while they’re still warm on their own or with a special sauce. Dango is often enjoyed plain, but there are also a few traditional toppings that can add something special to this famous Japanese dumpling. They’re easy to eat on-the-go and make great party and festival foods.^[16]

• To reheat dango, simply pop them into the microwave for 15-30 seconds until they’re warmed through.
• You can store dango in an air-tight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.

Make the classic mitarashi dango with a sweet-and-salty syrup. Heat 2 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons (37.0 ml) (10 grams) of corn starch, 1/2 cup (104 grams) of sugar, 5 tablespoons (74 mL) of soy sauce, and 1 cup (240 mL) of water in a small saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring it frequently until the sugar dissolves and it thickens enough to stick to the back of a spoon.^[17]

• This sauce can be drizzled over warm dango, or the dango can be dipped into the syrup.

Cover your dumplings in a red bean paste to make anko dango. Soak 1 cup (200 grams) of red beans overnight to soften them. The next day, drain the beans and add them to a pot along with 3 cups (710 mL) of fresh water. Boil the beans for about 40 minutes or until they are soft enough to smash. Press the beans through a strainer or puree them in a food processor. Reheat them in a pan with 1 cup (208 grams) of sugar, 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (30 grams) of butter, and a teaspoon (6 grams) of salt. Stir everything together over low heat until a sticky paste forms.^[18]

• Spread the paste over the dango to enjoy this traditional topping.
• Red bean paste will keep for up to 2 weeks in an air-tight container stored in the fridge.
• You could also mix a tablespoon of red bean paste into the dough the next time you make dango.

Add a dusting of soy flour to make sweet-and-salty kinako dango. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup (64 grams) of kinako, 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (25 grams) of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) of salt. Roll the freshly made dango ball in the mixture to add a slightly crunchy, sweet-and-salty topping.^[19]

• Kinako is often called roasted soy flour and is made from roasted soybeans. You can find it at Japanese grocery stores, or you may have to order it online.