If you love Japanese sweets, you have to try shiratama dango! Shiratama dango (白玉団子) is a type of mochi made with shiratamako glutinous rice flour. This traditional Japanese sweet can be eaten in a bowl with anko (red bean paste), or jazzed up with some ice cream!
This is a collaboration with Nart from Cooking with Nart! Nart is a food blogger in Thailand and shares delicious Thai, Thai inspired, and Asian recipes. She and I came together to come up with a recipe each using sticky rice. She made one of my absolute favorite desserts, mango with sticky rice, so make sure you go make her recipe after you make this!
What is Shiratama Dango?
Shiratama dango is a type of wagashi, traditional Japanese dessert. It only requires two ingredients and is naturally gluten-free! It has a soft, chewy texture and the flavor is very subtle.
Because of its subtle flavor, it's almost always eaten in combination with something sweet. You can sprinkle some kinako (roasted soy bean powder) and drizzle some kuromitsu (black sugar syrup), put them into a sweet red bean soup called zenzai, or use it as a garnish and textural element on top of ice cream and parfaits! Mmm perfect for the summer!
A Two-Ingredient Dessert!
It couldn't be more simple to make shiratama dango, as it only requires two ingredients: shiratamako and water. Some people also make shiratama dango using silken tofu. Adding tofu instead of water makes for shiratama dango that stays soft even when chilled in the refrigerator.
How to make Shiratama Dango
In a bowl, add 1 cup/120g of shiratamako and pour in about half of the water. Mix well using your hand. Slowly add in the rest of the water and knead with your hand until the mixture is smooth. Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 24 equal pieces. Using both hands, roll each piece into a ball.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the shiratama dango. On medium heat, boil the dango until they float to the top. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Take the shiratama dango out of the water and put them into a bowl of ice water to chill completely.
Can I use mochiko instead of shiratamako?
The short answer is yes! Although shiratamako and mochiko are both types of glutinous rice flour made from mochigome (mochi rice), they're processed differently which affects the texture.
Mochiko is easier to find outside of Japan, but it doesn't give the smooth and bouncy texture that you'd get with shiratama dango made from shiratamako.
If you'd like to use mochiko instead of shiratamako, I'd start with half the amount of water and gradually adding more to the mixture until the dough comes together. When making the shiratama dough, we often say to aim for the texture of an ear lobe!
My favorite way to eat shiratama dango is on top of matcha ice cream and some red bean paste. I love it when the ice cream melts and basically turns into a rich matcha latte.
Want more matcha desserts? Try my matcha blondies, matcha cupcakes, or matcha financiers!
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Don't forget to go visit Nart's website and check out her delicious recipe for mango with sticky rice!
Shiratama Dango
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 120g shiratamako
- ½ cup / 113g water
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
- In a bowl, add the shiratamako and pour in about half of the water. Mix well using your hand. Slowly add in the rest of the water and knead with your hand until the mixture is smooth.
- Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 24 equal pieces. Using both hands, roll each piece into a ball.
- Add the shiratama dango to the boiling water. On medium heat, boil the dango until they float to the top. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Take them out and put them into the ice water to chill completely.
SAVE TO PINTEREST FOR LATER!!
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