Mitarashi Dango Japanese Dumplings Food

MITARASHI DANGO (JAPANESE DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Mix together the joushinko and the hot water. Put the hot water in slowly to check that you will get the right consistency. You may not use all of the hot water.
• Add the shiratamako. Mix until it forms a soft dough that feels a bit dry to the touch.
• Divide the dough into 25 pieces (you can do this by forming a long log and cutting it, or just divide it up in the bowl and eyeball it).
• Make each piece into a little round ball. It doesn't have to be perfect in shape - a little bumpiness is fine.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt, as you would for boiling pasta.
• Add the dumplings a few at a time to the pot. After a few minutes, the dumplings will come floating to the surface.
• Boil for a further 3-4 minutes, then scoop out with a slotted spoon or similar.
• Immediately dump the dumplings into a bowl of cold water.
• Put the dumplings on skewers, 4 or 5 per skewer. Try to pierce the dumplings in the middle.
• Grill the skewered dumplings on a grill or a grill pan, turning several times, until nice burn marks form over them.
• While you're grilling the dumplings, make the mitarashi sauce.
• Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small pan and bring to a boil.
• Cook until the sauce has thickened. The more it cools, the more viscous it will get. You can make the sauce in advance too.
• Pour the sauce over the still warm skewered dumplings. They are best eaten right away, but you can make them in advance too, as long as you bring them to room temperature before eating.

KUSHI DANGO (JAPANESE SKEWERED RICE DUMPLINGS) WITH MITARASHI SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a pot with water over medium heat to a boil. Prepare a small bowl of ice water.
• Meanwhile, mix rice flour and sugar for dough in a bowl until well blended. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition, until dough is squishy but firm.
• Dust a work surface with cornstarch. Set dough on top and knead until smooth. Pull off small amounts of dough and roll into small, uniform balls (dumplings). Use up all the dough this way.
• Drop a handful of rice dumplings into the boiling water at a time. Cook until dumplings rise to the top, 3 to 5 minutes. Once they have risen to the top, cook for 2 more minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately drop them into the bowl of ice water.
• Remove dumplings from the ice water and thread 3 to 4 a skewer. Repeat with remaining dumplings, adding more ice to the water for the cooling stage once as needed.
• Prepare sauce: Combine 1 cup water, sugar, and soy sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves. Stir together cornstarch and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and add to the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce thickens, then remove from heat and cool slightly.
• Heat a griddle over medium heat. Once hot, grill skewered dumplings on both sides until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and pour cooled mitarashi sauce on top. Serve.