Easy Hanami Dango: A Sweet and Chewy Japanese Treat
Easy Hanami Dango is a fun, colorful, and chewy Japanese treat made from rice flour, perfect for springtime celebrations. These vibrant rice balls are skewered on bamboo sticks and optionally topped with sweet soy glaze or red bean paste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 skewers (3 dango per skewer)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop, Steamed
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups Joshinko non-glutinous rice flour (150g)
1 1/2 cups Shiratamako glutinous sweet rice flour (200g)
3/4 cup powdered sugar (optional, for sweetness)
1 1/3 cups hot water
1 drop pink food coloring
1 tsp matcha powder
1 tsp water
12 bamboo skewers (soaked in water)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a bowl, combine the Joshinko and Shiratamako rice flours. Gradually pour in the hot water while mixing with a spoon. Once the mixture starts to come together, use your hands to knead the dough until smooth and pliable.
- Divide and Color the Dough: Divide the dough into three portions. Add a drop of pink food coloring to one portion and knead until colored. Mix matcha powder with 1 tsp of water to create a paste and knead it into the second portion. Leave the third portion white.
- Shape the Dango: Roll the dough into small balls (about 20g each). You should have 36 balls (12 of each color: pink, white, and green).
- Cook the Dango: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the white dango balls first. Once they float, cook for 2 more minutes, then transfer to ice water. Repeat with the pink and green dango balls.
- Skewer the Dango: Once cooled, skewer the dango balls on bamboo sticks (green at the bottom, followed by white and pink).
- Serve: Serve as is or drizzle with sweet soy glaze or top with red bean paste or matcha paste.
Notes
Feel free to experiment with other colors and flavors for the dango.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. Just ensure the rice flours and other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
Optional toppings like sweet soy glaze or red bean paste add extra flavor.
If you don’t have matcha powder, try pandan extract or spinach powder for a different flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer (3 dango)
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
