Uncle Walts Maki Dango Recipes

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.

DANGO (SWEET JAPANESE DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Combine the Mochiko slowly and gradually with the water in the mixing bowl, trying to get a solid-but-squishy dough.
• Knead the dough well.
• Make small round dumplings (or Dango) with the dough, roughly 1 inch in diameter at the most.
• Steam the dango for 10-15 mins in the steamer on medium or high heat, depending on your steamer.
• When they are done (brownled slightly) take them off and let the cool on a wire rack.
• Mix the sugar, water (Larger mesurement) and soysauce in the small pan over a medium heat.
• Combine the Katakuriko with the small tablespoon and a half of water.
• When the sauce starts to boil, add the mixture in the cup to it, mix and remove from heat.
• Grill the dango slightly and add the sauce to taste.
• YUM! Anime-licous!

UNCLE WALT'S MAKI DANGO

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix all ingredients (except the last item as it is extra just for cooking) until a smooth consistency.
• Heat pan (cast iron skillet works best) on med/hi heat.
• When pan is hot, add 1 teaspoon oil and allow to heat up.
• Ladle approximately 1/4°C mixture into pan and rotate pan to lightly and evenly coat the bottom.
• Allow to cook until edges start to brown and pancake appears firm in the center.
• With a spatula, roll up crepe-style.
• Heat may need to be adjusted if pancake burns easily.
• Enjoy with butter and syrup!