Easy Steps on Making Tang Yuan/Glutinous Rice Ball

Tang Yuan is made from glutinous rice flour mixed with a small amount of water to form balls and is then cooked and served in boiling water. Tangyuan can be either small or large, and filled or unfilled and is usually eaten during the Chinese festival YuanXiao (Lantern Festival). If you are thinking of preparing your own tang yuan this season, here is a simple recipe for you!

(For about 30 tang yuan)

Ingredients For Sesame Fillings 

1 cup Black sesame

2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Peanuts or walnuts or mix of both

2 stick Unsalted butter (or lard), melted

2 Oz Sweetened Winter Melon, minced (optional)

Ingredients For Tang Yuan

3 cup Glutinous rice flour

1 1/2  cup water

Steps For the Fillings

1. Roast the peanuts and coarsely grind them in a food processor.

2. Add the sesame and sugar to the food processor and grind everything into powder.

3. In a non-stick container mix the sesame mixture with sweetened winter melon.

4. Gradually add butter to pan and stir to mix. It should form something like thick paste. Carefully flatten the 

surface.

5. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch grids and refrigerate until solidified.

6. When making the tang yuan, cut each grid into 1/2 inch cubes and shape into balls.  You can store the fillings in a freezer for up to one month.

Steps for the Tang Yuan

1. Mix the glutinous rice flour and water to make the dough. Roll it by hands until the dough becomes sticky like play dough. Divide the dough into 1.5 inch balls and keep them covered with a damped towel as they dry up very quickly.

2. Take a piece of dough and carefully shape it into a bowl.

3. Place a piece of sesame fillings in the middle of the dough.

4. Seal the opening carefully. Make sure the dough is not penetrated anywhere.

5. Gently shape the balls as round as possible by rolling around with both hands.

6. In a pot of boiling water cook the tang yuan until they float on the surface for at least 1 minute. It will take approximately 6 minutes to cook.

Roll the cooked tang yuan in crushed peanuts or cook up a sweet soup and eat the tang yuan with it. Enjoy ;)