Yomogi Dango 蓬団子

Method19 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the fresh Japanese mugwort thoroughly under fresh running water, drain and set aside.

   Uses 1 kg yomogi (freshly picked) · Fresh water as needed for washing herbs, cold soaking and cooling cooked dango

2. 2

   Step 2: Bring the two litres herb-blanching water to a boil in a large stockpot.

   Uses 2 litre water (for blanch)

3. 3

   Step 3: If using tougher leaves, add the teaspoon baking soda to the blanching water. Omit it for fresh soft spring shoots.

   Uses Boiling herb-blanching water · 1 tsp bicarbonate soda (*1)

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the washed yomogi and blanch for one minute.

   Blanch Japanese mugwort · 1 minUses Boiling herb-blanching water with optional baking soda · Washed fresh yomogi

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Drain the blanched yomogi through a strainer, discarding the herb-blanching water.

   Uses Blanched yomogi in hot water

6. 6

   Step 6: Soak the drained yomogi in fresh cold water for ten to fifteen minutes.

   Soak blanched mugwort in fresh cold water · 10 minUses Drained blanched yomogi · Fresh water as needed for washing herbs, cold soaking and cooling cooked dango

7. 7

   Step 7: Drain through a strainer and discard the soaking water.

   Uses Yomogi soaked in cold water

8. 8

   Step 8: Process the drained yomogi into a paste. Measure two tablespoons for the dango dough; freeze the unused paste in small ice-cube portions.

   Uses Drained blanched and soaked yomogi

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Put the two hundred grams shiratamako, two hundred grams silken tofu, two tablespoons prepared yomogi paste and two tablespoons sugar in a large mixing bowl.

   Uses 200 g Shiratamako(rice flour) · 200 g Silken tofu · 2 tbsp prepared yomogi paste · 2 tbs sugar

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Combine and knead the ingredients all together with your hand.

    Uses Shiratamako, tofu, measured herb paste and sugar dough ingredients

11. 11

    Step 11: The dough should be the same softness as your earlobe.

    Uses Hand-kneaded green dango dough

12. 12

    Step 12: Divide the dough in half.

    Uses Soft kneaded dango dough

13. 13

    Step 13: Roll the first dough half into a long cylinder about two centimetres in diameter. Cut it into sixteen equal pieces.

    Uses First half of dango dough

14. 14

    Step 14: Round the sixteen pieces between your hands. Roll, cut into sixteen and round the remaining dough half in the same way, making thirty-two dango in total.

    Uses Sixteen cut pieces from first dough half · Remaining second dough half

    
15. 15

    Step 15: Bring a fresh pot of dango-boiling water to a boil over high heat.

    Uses Fresh water as needed for boiling shaped dango

16. 16

    Step 16: Add the dango all together.

    Uses Fresh boiling water for dango · Thirty-two shaped raw yomogi dango

17. 17

    Step 17: Boil until the dango rise to the surface, then continue boiling for two minutes to cook the centres.

    Boil dango for two minutes after floating · 2 minUses Dango boiling in fresh water

18. 18

    Step 18: Scoop the cooked dango into fresh cold water to cool.

    Uses Cooked yomogi dango · Fresh water as needed for washing herbs, cold soaking and cooling cooked dango

    
19. 19

    Step 19: Drain the cooled dango and divide among serving bowls. If desired, add the optional ready sweet azuki paste and sprinkle with optional kinako (4 tsp).

    Uses Cooled cooked yomogi dango · 4 tbs sweet azuki bean paste (*2) · 4 tsp Kinako soy bean powder (*3)