Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls (Tāng Yuán or 汤圆)
Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls, or Tāng Yuán (汤圆) in Mandarin, is a traditional Chinese dessert that is typically served during the Winter Solstice Festival (Dōng Zhì - 冬至).
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- ½ cup water plus 1-2 tbsp extra as needed
- food colouring optional
For the filling
- ½ cup black sesame paste
- ¼ cup sugar
For the soup
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 knob ginger (approximately 8 cm), sliced
Complete Recipe Steps
- In a mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour and water. Mix until the dough forms a ball. If the dough is too dry then add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until you get a dough that seamlessly bonds with itself without sticking to your hands. If using colouring, you can incorporate a few drops into the dough at this stage.1 cup glutinous rice flour, ½ cup water, food colouring
- Divide the dough into small portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- Flatten each ball with a rolling pin and place a small amount of black sesame paste and sugar filling in the centre.½ cup black sesame paste, ¼ cup sugar
- Seal the filling inside the dough by pinching the edges together.
- In a pot, bring the water, sugar, and ginger to a boil.4 cups water, ½ cup sugar, 1 knob ginger
- Drop the rice balls into the boiling water and stir gently to prevent sticking.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the rice balls float to the surface.
- Serve the Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls in a bowl of hot ginger soup.
Notes
- Use a little bit of food colouring in the glutinous rice dough to get some variety in the colour. The most common traditional colours for Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls are white, pink, green and sometimes, yellow.
- If the glutinous rice dough is too sticky, coat your hands with a small amount of glutinous rice flour before rolling the dough into balls.
- It's important to properly seal the filling inside the dough to prevent it from leaking out while it is boiling.
- If you're making Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls ahead of time, you can freeze uncooked Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls for up to 1 month.
- You can experiment with different sweet fillings such as chocolate, fruit, or custard for a unique twist on the traditional recipe.
- Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls can also be served hot, cold or fried for a different texture.