Using Tofu in Desserts

"Shiratama dango" are soft and chewy rice dumplings that Japanese people love. The more you chew them, you can taste the flavor and natural sweetness of the rice. Adding tofu to shiratama dango makes them both healthier and softer — did you know that by using tofu in desserts, you can make them taste even better?

A World of Tofu Desserts

Tofu works well not only with Japanese-style desserts, but with desserts from other countries, too. Mixing soft silken tofu into a smooth paste creates a creamy texture, so it can be used instead of dairy products in things like ice cream, bavarois or tiramisu!
If you mix it into a cheesecake, chocolate cake, pound cake or donut mixture before baking or frying, you can make it so delicious that people won't believe it contains tofu. Plus, because it's low in fat, the result is light and healthy as well as satisfying. The taste of the tofu itself is subtle enough that it doesn't get in the way of other flavors, and adding tofu to the dough or mixture gives the finished product a fluffy, chewy texture. Using tofu opens up a whole new world of recipes and means that vegans or those with allergies to dairy products can enjoy the food too!
The limitless possibilities of tofu are attracting attention worldwide.

Tofu Makes Things Softer

Shiratama dango are a traditional Japanese treat that can be easily made at home, and are very popular with both children and adults. They're made using a sweet rice flour called "shiratamako," which is formed by soaking rice in water, then grinding it down while adding more water and squeezing it before drying. All you need to do is mix this flour with water, but we recommend mixing it with silken tofu instead, to give the finished dumplings softer, fluffier and springier texture. It also makes them easier to chew and helps retain their texture for longer. And as if that wasn't enough, tofu is good for you because it's low in calories and high in protein! It's really full of great stuff. If you can't get shiratamako flour, try using "mochiko" (sweet rice flour) instead.

For bigger and rounder dumplings, boil them for slightly longer.

When adding the silken tofu to the shiratamako, mix it well with your hands until the dumpling dough is smooth. The softness of this dough is an important part of why shiratama dango are so tasty. As a guide, people say it should be as soft as an earlobe — there are many different ways we can say how soft something is, but if you ask any Japanese person about shiratama dango, they'll mention earlobes. It's interesting, isn't it?

Boiled shiratama dango are often eaten with anko, a traditional Japanese sweet made by simmering adzuki beans and sugar. It's also common to coat them in "kinako" (roasted soy flour) or ground sesame seeds mixed with sugar, or drizzle them with matcha syrup. They're great with fruit soaked in syrup, too! Other popular ways to enjoy them are in "shiruko," a sweet adzuki bean soup, or as a topping on shaved ice. And they're not just good in desserts, too — you could try them in your favorite soup or add them to a savory sauce.

Shiruko is a sweet soup made with adzuki beans and sugar, served with grilled mochi or shiratama dango.

Japanese People Love the Chewy Texture of Dango!

"Dango" are dumplings made of rice or other grain flour that has been rolled into balls and boiled or steamed. They're a snack unique to Japan, a country with a culture centered on rice. Japanese people love dango so much that they even have the expression "dango before flowers" (meaning someone would rather eat dango than look at flowers; in other words, they prefer substance over style). Dango can be served on a skewer, wrapped in a bamboo leaf, together with some "anko," or coated in a sweet-and-tangy sauce called "mitarashi," which is made of soy sauce and sugar. In Japan, dango are eaten in September, as part of traditional events expressing gratitude for the harvest on the night of the full moon (the fifteenth day) and just before that on the thirteenth day of the lunar calendar. Eating some delicious round dango while viewing a beautiful full moon sounds pretty poetic, doesn't it?

The Japanese tradition of "tsukimi" (moon viewing) began about 1,000 years ago.

"Shiratama" literally means "white balls," but it can also refer to pearls or beautiful and round objects. That makes them sound quite appealing, right? So why not try making some for yourself?

When shaping the dango, press down the middle part so that heat passes all the way through when you boil them.

Once you have the ingredients, shiratama dango only take 20 minutes to make! How about making some for your friend?

Shiratama Dango with Tofu Recipe

• Ingredients (makes 15 to 20 dango)

100 g shiratamako flour
(or replace with mochiko flour if you can't find shiratamako)
130 g silken tofu
30 g kinako (roasted soy flour)
15 g granulated sugar

• Method

1. Make the dough

Put the silken tofu into a bowl and crush it roughly with your hands. Add around half of the shiratamako and squeeze the mixture together by hand while mixing.

When the ingredients are mostly mixed, add the remaining shiratamako and mix until you have a dough as soft as your earlobe. If the dough is too hard, add a little more water (just a tiny amount at a time) to adjust it.

2. Form the dough into balls

Once the dough holds together nicely, tear it into small pieces.

Roll it in your palms to shape it into balls, then press the top lightly with one finger to create a dimple.

Fill a bowl with ice water. Boil some water in a pot and drop the shaped dough balls into the boiling water one at a time. Once they float up to the top of the water, leave them to boil for a minute or two.

3. Cool the dough

Scoop the balls up with a skimmer and put them in the bowl of ice water. Drain them in a sieve or colander once they're cool.

4. Make the topping

5. Plate up

Dry the boiled shiratama dango, put them on a plate and coat them with the topping from step 5.

Recipe by Tsukuda Sachiko from Wagashi Kunpu