This is a Japanese treat of rice dumplings and a sweet savory sauce. Not for everyone, but I like them.
For the dumpling:
1 1/3 cup glutinous rice flour (Shiratamako ) — Can use regular rice flour, but they won’t be as good
3/4 cup hot water
Add the flour and water together and mix (in a bowl — did I say?). Turn out onto a rice-floured board and knead the ball. Keep kneading until it is “as hard as an earlobe”. Keep your hands a bit wet as you do this.
Roll the dough into a stick about an inch wide, and cut it into squares. Hand roll these into balls. Start a pan of water boiling and drop these into the water. Once they rise to the top, cook them for three to four minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and dump them in a bowl of cold water. Skewer them in 3s or 4s; wet the skewer first to keep them from sticking. Then heat up a grill and cook them until they have some nice burn marks.
Have a cup of Sake’.
The Mitarashi sauce:
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp of potato starch or corn starch
In a saucepan, mix the water, sugar and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the starch, mixed with a couple of tablespoons of water. Beat well; the sauce should thicken quickly. I like to dip the skewered dangos in the sauce, but others like to dribble it over them.
Serve with whatever.