This week on On the total, we’re diving deep into one of our favourite ingredients: tofu. To acquire all of this (and more) formula sooner than it hits the accept, subscribe to our print magazine.
Of the total kinds of Japanese confections, ranging from account for to dwelling-sort, most seemingly the best most likely to fabricate is tofu shiratama dango, which come together in 5 minutes the usage of handiest two ingredients.
Tofu shiratama dango are share of the higher category of dango, a catchall term for Japanese dumplings which are in total (even supposing no longer continuously) made with rice flour. Mochi, even supposing very same, is technically made with grains of the glutinous rice mochigome which are steamed and pounded barely than with flour. Dango are defined by their stretchy, chewy texture; the flavor is light and thanks to this fact extremely versatile in candy or delicious functions: You could almost definitely spoon them over ice cream, drizzle them with syrup, or fall them into soup.
To manufacture tofu shiratama dango, the rice flour shiratamako is sure by silken tofu to diagram a round confection that mixes the satisfying chew of mochi with tofu’s tender quiver.
To manufacture ample tofu shiratama dango for four of us (about 16 total), mix 100 grams silken tofu and 100 grams shiratamako unless the combination is as tender as your ear lobe (judge tender, cushiony, pliable). You can spend the candy rice flour mochiko, which is more again and again chanced on in the U.S., to fabricate this recipe, but the feel will seemingly be a microscopic diverse—they’ll aloof be chewy but much less stretchy, with a a microscopic grainy mouthfeel. Ordering shiratamako is price it!
Working over a pot of simmering water, scamper off a teaspoon-dimension piece of dough and roll into a marble-dimension ball. Plop it into water and repeat with remaining dough. Simmer for 2–4 minutes or unless dango fade with the fade with the movement, then preserve away with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice water. Your dango are with out a doubt ready for any of the preparations below, but know that they are most effective as soon as they’re made—refrigeration nudges them toward the unpleasant aspect of gumminess.
Maple + Soy = Glaze
For a North American variation on salty-candy mitarashi dango (that are coated in candy soy glaze), manufacture a glaze by heating 3 Tbsp. maple syrup and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce for barely a minute, unless effervescent and a microscopic thickened. Pour over the chilled dango.
While the glaze for mitarashi dango is traditionally in conserving with a combination of water, soy sauce, white sugar, and potato starch, maple syrup’s viscosity makes it a wonderful alternative for the sugar, starch, and water. Additionally, when hasn’t maple syrup made a recipe better?
If you can per chance also possess toasted soybean powder (kinako) for your cabinet, I’d abet you to sprinkle some on top of your syrup-glazed dango, otherwise you can per chance even fade all-American with peanut powder as a replace.
Ice cream!
Japanese parfaits are architectural marvels that layer tender-motivate swirls with Willy Wonka–esque combos of (to call about a) cornflakes, dango, azuki (crimson bean), chiffon cake slices, and candied chestnuts. While your pantry could perchance almost definitely no longer be as successfully stocked as that of a Japanese parfait shop, some dango (and the maple glaze, if I’m valiant!) are continuously welcome on my ice cream.
Soup
I’m able to also possess started the parable by discussing ozoni, the Japanese mochi soup, but I continuously prioritize dessert. Japan is a lot from basically the most handy country to place sticky rice dumplings in its soups (tteokguk and tang yuan spring to tips), but even when you had been factual to preserve up in tips soups made in Japan, there are so many forms.
The defining characteristic of ozoni is the inclusion of mochi and the truth that it’s traditionally eaten for New Year’s. I acquire, on the opposite hand, that the arrangement of mochi in soup is a lot too delicious to limit to in the end of the 365 days. Though ozoni is traditionally made with mochi, as mentioned above, I spend the tofu shiratama dango as a shortcut. A straightforward version I rely on in total: Simmer one sliced onion in dashi, add crimson miso to taste, after which poach an egg in the sizzling broth and ladle over dango.
The relaxation of the dango that you can place for dessert.
Chihiro Tomioka buys chocolate chip ice cream for the chocolate chips and has written about all issues Japanese at Meals52.
