Easy Mitarashi Dango Using Microwave
Otsukimi dango is offered as an offering to express gratitude for the autumn harvest and to pray for a bountiful harvest in the following season, and the round shape of the dango resembles a full moon. After the offering, it can be eaten and enjoyed, but *plain white dango is not very flavorful, so this time we present a recipe for mitarashi dango. It is covered with sugar-soy sauce. Many people think it is hard to make, but actually they can be easily made if you use a microwave. It takes only about 40 minutes. The aroma of freshly baked dango can only be obtained when handmade! *Otsukimi dango differs slightly in taste and shape from region to region. In the Kanto region, pure white round dango is the norm, while in the Kansai region, oval-shaped dango wrapped with red bean paste is common. Ingredients (for about 4 skewers): 3.4 fl. oz./100 ml of water 3.4 fl. oz./100 ml of lukewarm water around 120 °F/50 ℃ 3.5 oz./100 g joshinko rice flour *2 tbsp of soy sauce *1 tbsp of mirin sweet rice wine *5 tbsp of sugar *1 tbsp of katakuriko potato starch or mochiko rice flour Some oil 4 skewers (only if you want dango to be on skewers)
organic soy sauce, organic mirin, and joshinko
We have many more kinds of soy sauce at the store.
Katakuriko potato starch can be substituted with mochiko sweet rice flour.
Directions: 1. In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients starting with a "*" and 3.4 floz./100 ml of water, mix well to dissolve the katakuriko or mochiko, and heat. Stir constantly, and when thickened, serve. If using skewers, soak skewers in water.
2. Put joshinko in a heatproof bowl, pour in 1/2 cup 3.4 floz./100 ml of lukewarm water, and mix well with a wooden sspatula until powderiness is gone.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes (at 500w). Mix well with a wooden spatula so that the mixture heats evenly, cover with plastic wrap again, and microwave for another 3 minutes. Mix well with a wooden spatula and microwave again for 2 minutes. If the mixture is still sticky, heat it for 1 minute more at a time and see how it turns out.
4. While dipping the wooden stick in water, rub the dough repeatedly until the surface of the dough becomes smooth and firm. Be careful not to burn yourself.
5. Remove from heat, place on a damp dish towel and knead well with the dish towel. When the dough becomes smooth, remove it from the dish towel and knead it well with water on your hands until it becomes as soft as your earlobe. If you want to make the dough softer, add water little by little while kneading and adjust the consistency to your liking.
6. Place the dough on a lightly oiled base (wooden board etc), divide into 2 equal portions, form into bars, and roll each bar into 8 equal portions using a wooden spatula or similar tool. Make them into a ball shape.
7. Thread the dough onto skewers soaked in water and grill in toaster oven or grill until browned. If you wrap skewers (only the exposed part without dango) with wet paper towels and wrap aluminum foil over them, you can prevent burning. If you don't use skewers, put the dough directly. Tips:
If you want to enjoy other flavors, you can sprinkle soy sauce on it and bake it, or serve it with anko (sweet red bean paste) or kinako (soybean flour).
If you wish to make an offering, make many dango and stack 15 dumplings in a pyramid shape.
If it is too much for you to cook, we also carry pre-made dango (above) and daifuku mochi sweets (below) at the store !
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Otsukimi Niku Pork Soba Noodles
One of the most popular meal menus on otsukimi day is otsukimi soba buckwheat noodles. This is because the egg yolk looks like the moon. (Raw eggs are the norm in Japan, but if you eat raw eggs in the U.S., do so at your own risk.) How about a hearty, meat-filled otsukimi-soba for this year's otsukimi day dish? The sweet and spicy pork with a hint of garlic and soba noodles with broth are a perfect match and delicious. The egg yolk, when broken into pieces, gives the dish a rich flavor. Of course, it is delicious even if it is not the day of otsukimi, and is recommended for lunch as well as dinner. Please give it a try!
Ingredients (1 Serving):
3.5 oz./100 g of dried soba noodles
34 fl. oz./1 l of hot water for boiling
*2 fl. oz./60 ml of mentsuyu noodle broth (4x concentrated)
*8 fl. oz./240 ml of water
5.3 oz./150 g of sliced pork
*** 1 tbsp of soy sauce
*** 1 tsp of sugar
*** 1 tbsp of cooking sake
*** 1 tsp of granulated Japanese soup stock
***1 tsp of grated garlic
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 egg yolk
Scallions (cut into small pieces) to your liking
soba noodles
mentsuyu noodle broth (4x concentrate)
You can substitute pork with beef. We sell frozen ones.
Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook soba noodles according to package directions.
2. Heat the ingredients starting with "*" in a separate pot over medium heat and remove from heat when warm.
3. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add slices of pork and the ingredients starting with "***" and stir-fry. When all the flavors are well blended and the pork slices are cooked through, remove from heat.
4. Put what you made in step 1 in a bowl, pour over what you made in step 2, top with what you made in step 3 and egg yolk, and sprinkle with scallions. Enjoy.
Tips:
Adjust seasonings to taste.
You can also add shichimi togarashi (seven spice powder) if you like spicy dishes.
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There is a lot of food items, housewares, stationery, and gifts available at the store and our online store, Maido! Kairashi Shop, where you can place your order for shipping or store pickup! Happy shopping. :)
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