Easy, Soft Bites Perfect for Little Moongazers
This easy recipe has only two ingredients and is perfect for tiny hands to mash and play around with.
With お月見 (otsukimi; moon viewing) just around the corner, what better way to celebrate the holiday than to make tsukimi dango (moon viewing dumplings) in the kitchen together? This recipe has been altered from the traditional recipe to make the dumplings easier for younger children to eat. By adding きぬごし(kinugoshi; silken tofu), the dumplings aren’t as firm as the ones you would try from the store.
Be sure to make the dumplings smaller than you would make them for an adult to ensure children don’t put too much in their mouths at once.
Choosing the Right Flour
There’s more than one type of rice flour in Japanese supermarkets. It can be overwhelming deciding which one to choose and how it will affect your recipe. Some supermarkets might not have the flour you’re looking for. After a lot of experimenting and eating countless dango, I can give you some pointers.
白玉粉(shiratamako) is made from glutinous rice, but the process of making it prevents it from completely hardening even after cooling down. This makes dango that isn’t quite as smooth or firm as you might want it to be.
もち粉(mochiko) is also made from glutinous rice flour. However, it makes a stickier dough that can be slightly chewier than shiratamako.
団子粉(dangoko) is made from a mixture of glutinous and non-glutinous rice. It creates a dough that is much firmer and not as sticky as the others. It’s also easier to handle when forming the dango.
From my experiments, I found that mochiko makes the best dumplings for this toddler-friendly recipe. It’s in the middle compared to the other flours, providing the right consistency for younger children to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 200 gramsもち粉(mochiko)
- 300 grams silken tofu
Materials needed:
- 1 bowl for mixing
- 1 bowl for cold water
- 1 pot for boiling water
Instructions
1. In a bowl, smash the tofu, breaking it into small pieces. This is the perfect task for toddlers if you’re up for a bit of a mess.
2. Slowly pour in the rice flour, adding it little by little as you mix the two together. The dough should come together to make a large firm ball.
3. Pull off pieces of the dough to form individual dumplings, rolling it between your palms to form a ball. Dumplings should be larger for adults and smaller for children.
4. Bring a pot of water on the stove to a light boil. I recommend dropping in a few dumplings at a time, around five or six so as not to crowd the pot or bring down the water’s temperature too much.
5. Stir the dumplings gently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6. Prepare a bowl of cold water. Once the dumplings begin to float to the top of the water, they’re done and can be transferred to cold water to cool down.
7. Boil the rest of the dumplings in batches.
8. Once all the dumplings are in cold water, let them stay there for around three minutes to finish cooling down.
9. Drain the dumplings, allowing them to dry and the outside to harden a little. This can take a little time depending on the humidity in the air.
They’re ready to eat! Put your favorite toppings, like mitarashi sauce, anko (red bean paste), or kinako powder. If you’re worried about too much sugar, you can eat them plain. My son ate four or five without hesitating.
I highly recommend mitarashi sauce as it is one of my favorites. I’ll leave an easy recipe for it below.
Dango is best eaten as soon as possible as they can become harder and drier over time. If you do end up having leftovers, pop them in the fridge for the next day. Warm them up in the toaster or frying pan and eat warm. I haven’t tried freezing them as I worry it will alter the consistency and the thought of defrosting them sounds a little troublesome.
Mitarashi Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin (sweet sake)
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp potato starch
Simply heat the sauce gently over a low flame until the sugar has dissolved. Once it cools, it will thicken up.
Alternative Rice Flours
One of my supermarkets didn’t have mochiko which sent me looking at different supermarkets in my area. Realizing this might happen to others, I tried different flours to see how they would react in the recipe. You can try the following combinations at home to make similar results.
Silkier, lighter dough:
150 grams 白玉粉(shiratamako)
200 grams silken tofu
Firmer and chewier dough:
200 grams 団子粉(dangoko)
250 grams silken tofu
I hope you can spend a quiet, relaxing evening as you and your loved ones enjoy the autumn moon.
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went! My son loves being in the kitchen and this is probably one of his favorite things to make with me. It’s simple, fun, and delicious.
Until next time, stay safe~
a.t.kumagai
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