Colorful Matcha, Cherry Blossom, and Snow Dango Skewers Recipe
This Easy Dango Recipe guides you through making traditional Japanese rice flour dumplings in three vibrant colors—white, green (matcha), and pink (cherry blossom). Soft and chewy, these bite-sized dango balls are perfect for enjoying during spring cherry blossom season or any time you crave a delightful sweet treat. The recipe includes mixing two types of rice flours, coloring the dough naturally, boiling until perfectly tender, and skewering them in traditional seasonal order for an authentic and visually appealing presentation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 12 skewers (36 dango balls) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dango Dough
- 1 1/3 cup Joshinko non-glutinous rice flour (150 g)
- 1 1/2 cup Shiratamako glutinous sweet rice flour (200 g)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (75 g, optional for sweetness)
- 1 1/3 cup hot water
Dough Coloring
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- 1 teaspoon water (for matcha paste)
- 1 drop pink food coloring
Additional
- 12 small bamboo skewers (soaked in water before use)
Instructions
- Prepare Skewers: Soak 12 small bamboo skewers in water to prevent burning during serving.
- Mix Flours and Sugar: In a large bowl, combine 150 g Joshinko non-glutinous rice flour, 200 g Shiratamako glutinous rice flour, and 75 g powdered sugar if using, to blend your dry ingredients.
- Add Hot Water and Form Dough: Pour in 1 1/3 cups hot water and mix with a spoon until a dough begins to form. Then use your hands to knead the mixture into a smooth, soft clay-like dough, adjusting with a little more flour or water if needed.
- Divide Dough: Split the dough evenly into three portions and place each into separate bowls.
- Color Dough Pink: Add 1 drop of pink food coloring to the first dough portion and knead until the color is uniformly absorbed.
- Prepare Matcha Paste: Mix 1 teaspoon matcha powder with 1 teaspoon water to form a paste, then knead this into the second dough portion to color it green.
- Keep the Third Portion White: Leave the third portion uncolored to maintain its natural white color.
- Shape Dango Balls: Using a kitchen scale, portion 20 grams of dough at a time and roll into round balls. This recipe makes approximately 36 balls in total.
- Boil White Dango: Bring a pot of water to a boil. First, add the white dango balls to the pot. When they float to the surface, continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
- Ice Bath: Remove the cooked white dango with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool and set the texture.
- Repeat Boiling for Pink and Green Dango: Boil the pink dango balls next, followed by the green ones, each time transferring them to ice water promptly. This sequence prevents color bleeding and keeps flavors pure.
- Assemble Skewers: Thread the dango onto soaked bamboo skewers in the order of green first, white in the middle, and pink last to represent summer, winter, and spring respectively.
- Serve: Enjoy the dango as-is or with toppings such as sweet soy glaze, red bean paste, or matcha paste for extra flavor.
Notes
- Adjust water or flour slightly when kneading if dough is too sticky or dry.
- Using a kitchen scale helps maintain uniform size and cook time for each dango ball.
- Soaking skewers in water is essential to prevent charring during serving.
- Cooking dango in color order avoids staining the cooking water and color mixing.
- Dango can be served warm or chilled depending on preference.
- Add optional toppings like mitarashi sauce, sweet bean paste, or powdered kinako for traditional variations.
Keywords: dango, Japanese dessert, rice flour dumplings, matcha, cherry blossom, sweet treat, traditional snack
