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Glutinous Rice Balls @ "Tang Yuan" in Gingered Sweet Broth

Glutinous Rice Balls @ "Tang Yuan" in Sweet Gingered Broth

 

  Tang Yuan is a Chinese Sweet Dessert food made from glutinous rice flour. Tang Yuan can be either small or large, and filled or unfilled. They are traditionally served and associated with Lantern Festival, Winter Solstice, Chinese New Year and weddings, because it symbolizes family unity, completeness and happiness. Tang Yuan is now serve as a dessert all year round and it is readily available at most Asian grocery shops, supermarkets and even hypermarket in the frozen food section. Tang Yuan is very similar to the Japanese Mochi. 

    Alternatively, you can make it yourself at home!

For the Glutinous Rice Ball Dough

200g   Glutinous Rice Flour 

100ml Hot Water 

100ml Cold Water

Food Coloring

 

• Add 100g Glutinous Rice Flour and 100mL Hot Water in a clean mixing bowl and mix well with a spatula.  Slowly add another 100g Glutinous Rice Flour and 100mL Cold Water to knead into a soft, smooth and pliable dough. 

• Divide dough into three or as how many color you wants. Drop food coloring into the dough and knead. The dough tends to dry easily and fast if its break while kneading, wet you palm with water.

• Roughly roll into a round ball shape, then gently flatten the dough with your palms.

For The Red Bean Filling

Adapted from : Apple, Pie, Patis & Pate

2 Sweet Azuki (Red Bean) Paste Variations – Chunky and Pureed

makes about 2 cups (450 grams)

1 cup (6.35 ounces / 180 grams) azuki beans

To Prepare the Azuki:

Wash the azuki beans and place in a large pot filled with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, drain, and discard the water. Continue with the instructions for either chunky (tsubushi-an) or pureed (koshi-an) azuki bean paste.

For the Chunky Azuki Bean Paste

1 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt

Instructions:

Add about 3 cups of water to a pot containing the par-boiled azuki beans. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer the azuki beans until soft, approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours. The water should be almost completely absorbed by the time the beans are done. Add water as needed while simmering to prevent the beans from scorching.

Add the sugar, stirring gently until the azuki bean paste is heated through and glossy. Season with a pinch of salt and mix well. The paste should be thick with some whole and half-crushed azuki beans.

For the Pureed Azuki Bean Paste

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt

Equipment:

sieve or fine mesh strainer
cheesecloth or cotton bag

Instructions:

Add about 5 cups of water to a pot containing the par-boiled azuki beans. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook the azuki beans until soft, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. There will still be a considerable amount of liquid at this point.

Place a sieve over a bowl. Pour the beans and liquid into the strainer, such that the bottom of the strainer is partly immersed in the liquid.

Using a wooden spoon, spatula, or the palm of your hands, mash the beans through the sieve into the simmering liquid so that the bean skins stay on the sieve.

Pour the mashed beans and simmering liquid into a cheesecloth or cotton bag and squeeze out all the water. Put the unsweetened bean paste in a saucepan, add the sugar, and cook over low heat, stirring gently until the azuki bean paste is heated through and glossy. Season with a pinch of salt and mix well. The paste should have the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Assemble the Rice Balls

 

• Scoop the Black Sesame Filling onto the center of the flatted dough. 

• Carefully fold in the edges to seal. 

• Roll the filled dough gently into a round ball shape again and leave them aside.

 

 Cook the Rice Balls

Water

Rock Sugar or Palm Sugar

Few screwpine leaves (knot)

1 inch ginger root (thinly slliced)

• Place the rice balls in hot boiling water, turn the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes or until they float onto the surface of the water. 

• Add Rock Sugar or Palm Sugar, Screwpine leaves(knot) and ginger into the water and taste the sweetness.  Serve the rice balls with the sugar broth in a bowl.

Tang Yuan