Shiratama dango made with tofu instead of just water stay tender far longer — pillowy, a little chewy, never tough. We tint them green with Wazuka matcha and pile them over cold vanilla ice cream, then finish with kuromitsu or kinako. A quiet, grown-up and family sweet for a hot afternoon.
Serves 3–4 · about 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 90 g shiratamako (glutinous rice flour)
- 130–150 g silken tofu — add gradually, holding back the last 20 g or so and kneading it in only as the dough needs it
- 1 generous Tbsp (about 6–7 g) matcha, sifted — some prefer it lighter; start with less for a milder green
- To serve: vanilla ice cream; kuromitsu (brown-sugar syrup) or kinako (roasted soybean flour)
How to make it
- In a bowl, whisk the shiratamako with the sifted matcha. Add tofu a little at a time, kneading until the dough comes together like your earlobe — soft but not sticky. Mix and knead by hand or with a spatula rather than in a bag — it makes it much easier to feel when the dough is right.
- Roll into small balls and press a shallow dimple in each centre so they cook evenly.
- Boil in plenty of water. When they float, cook 1–2 minutes more, then lift into ice water to firm up. Drain.
- Top scoops of vanilla ice cream with the shiratama, then drizzle with kuromitsu or dust with kinako.
Tip
Sift the matcha so it blends smoothly and the colour stays even. Good matcha carries a gentle bitterness — that’s exactly what balances the sweet syrup and the cold cream.
Shiratama forgives almost anything — a slightly wet dough, dumplings that aren’t quite round — once they hit the boiling water, they still come out soft and good. That small looseness is part of the charm: this is the kind of recipe a family quietly rewrites, one summer at a time, before it disappears under ice cream, kuromitsu, and a dusting of kinako — the kind that can carry you to Kyoto in one spoonful.
