Yesterday, I posted a super-easy recipe for shiratama dango, dessert rice dumplings from Japan, on Gapers Block Drive Thru, here, but I wanted to follow it up with a slightly more complicated presentation of the same versatile dumplings. (For the explanation of the shiratama dango and how to make them, see that post.)

The traditional way to enjoy shiratama dango (which roughly translates to "white pearl dumplings") is to dress them with a mixture of soybean flour, sugar and a touch of salt, or with the ubiquitous sweet red bean paste. I modified the sweet red bean paste for this recipe.

Shiratama Dango with Roasted Jewel Yam Paste, Orange Ginger Syrup (for three to four people)

• 1/3 cup shiratamako (sweet rice flour, or mochiko)
• about 1/4 cup water
• 1 smallish jewel yam
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 3 inch ginger, sliced and crushed
• 1 tablespoon dried orange peel
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup water

First, roast the whole jewel yam in an oven for 5 hours at 200 degrees. Slow-roasting the yam will bring out its sweetness and condense its otherwise subtle flavor. When it's cooked through, peel it by hand and mash through a strainer into a small saucepan. On a low heat, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar into the yam paste, and let the moisture escape for a while, stirring constantly. Cool the paste in the fridge.

For the syrup, heat 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Throw in sliced and crushed ginger, dried orange peel and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Simmer down until the liquid becomes syrupy. Cool the syrup in the fridge.

When the paste and the syrup are nice and cool, start the dumplings. Mix water into the shiratamako (sweet rice flour) little by little. The best way to mix them is to use your hand, and when the dough is "tender as earlobe," stop adding water. (The above amount is just for an idea. Adjust the amount for yourself, aiming for a dough that's not powdery but doesn't stick to your hands too much. Drier dough is easier to handle.) Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan. When the dough has the right texture, form it into small balls--about 1 inch in diameter--and flatten them between your palms. Make a dent in the middle so the dumplings will cook evenly.

Drop the dumplings one by one into boiling water. They'll sink to the bottom at first, but they'll float to the surface when they're done. When they come up to the surface, take them out with a slotted spoon and cool in a bowl of cold water. (Don't put them in the fridge, because excessive chill makes them toughen.) Assemble the dumplings, yam paste and ginger syrup in a nice dessert bowl and serve. The dumplings have a tender yet resilient texture, and retain the subtle hint of its rice origin in flavor. The kicky heat of the ginger is pretty nice in this otherwise sweet dessert. Best with hot green tea!