savory tang yuan

An important and auspicious recipe to make during the Lantern Festival is Tang Yuan (汤圆), or Yuan Xiao (元宵). It's a food that symbolizes harmony and reunion.

Tang Yuan (Sweet Rice Balls with Black Sesame Filling)

roasted black sesame seeds ((57 grams))

caster sugar ((85 grams, about 1/3 cup))

butter ((not melted!))

sweet rice flour ((also known as glutinous rice flour,

water

In a food processor or blender, finely grind the sesame seeds. Add the caster sugar and use a spatula to mix together in the food processor a bit. Then add the butter and pulse for 10 seconds at a time until the mixture is well combined. Scoop everything out into a bowl and put in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. The purpose of this cooling process is to harden the mixture slightly for easy handling later.

While the filling is cooling, make the dough. Put the sweet rice flour into a mixing bowl. Slowly add in the warm water, while stirring to form a dough. The dough can’t be too wet, or it will not hold its shape. Cover with a damp towel.

Now boil some water in a small pot, take out a small piece of the dough, about 1” in diameter. Add it to the boiling water and cook the piece of dough until it floats. Scoop it out and add it to the rest of the dough. Mix the two parts together until the dough is soft and smooth. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 18 grams each, if you want to be really exacting), and roll them into balls. Keep the dough and dough balls covered with a damp paper towel while assembling.

Take out the filling after it’s cooled for 30 minutes. It should be slightly hard, but still workable. Roll the filling into small marble-sized balls, about 4 to 5 grams each. Then take each dough ball and flatten into a circle about 2 inches in diameter. Add the filling to the center, and close the dough over the filling. Roll the ball around in your hands until it's smooth and round. Repeat until all the sesame balls are made. Cover the remaining filling and return to the refrigerator for later!

While you are assembling, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the sesame balls and stir immediately to prevent them from sticking. Adding the sesame balls will cool down the water temperature significantly, so once the water comes back up to a boil, add a 1/2 cup of water to the pot. Repeat this step two more times. This cooking process will allow enough time for the sugar and butter to melt nicely into a smooth filling. Serve the sesame balls in a bit of the hot cooking water!

Soft and chewy tang yuan/glutinous rice balls served in delicious savory soup.

Savory Tang Yuan Soup

gr glutinous rice flour

60 ml hot boiling water (plus more as needed)

Tbsp cooking oil

onion

1- inch fresh ginger (peeled and bruised to release flavor)

shrimp

mushrooms

chicken broth

cabbage

g goji berries

soy sauce

oyster sauce

sugar

tsp shaoxing wine

white pepper

tsp sugar

chicken powder

green part of green onion (finely chopped)

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add in hot boiling water and stir with a spoon and when it&#x27;s not too hot anymore, knead with your hands until you get a non-sticky dough that is soft and pliable. If it&#x27;s too dry, add a bit more water, it shouldn&#x27;t be too wet that it sticks to your hands or bowl

Divide the dough into 4. Work with one dough at a time while keeping the rest covered, knead the dough again. Roll into a long log and then cut into about 36-40 pieces. Roll into round dough balls. Keep them covered with a damp cloth. If the dough gets dry, dab with a bit of water and roll.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When they are rolling boil, add in the glutinous balls and let them cook until they float to the top and let them cook for another minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and submerge them in cold/room temperature water briefly to prevent them from sticking to each other

Prepare the dough:

Cut the white part of the green onion into about 2 inches long and split into half

Preheat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil. Add the white part of green onion and ginger. Saute for about 1 minute. Add the dried shrimp and shiitae mushrooms. Saute for another minute. Add the chicken pieces and saute until they just turn color

Add the chicken broth and bring to boil. Lower the heat and add the veggies. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Add seasonings and adjust to your taste. Turn off the heat and add goji berries. The residual heat will soften them. We don&#39;t want to overcook the goji berries as they can get sour

Prepare the soup:

Portion the glutinous rice balls in the bowl. Generously ladle the hot soup over with some chicken and veggies. Garnish with some green parts of green onion and serve warm

When ready to serve:

This comforting, hearty soup we eat every winter solstice is not only a symbol of coming together with family, but is also incredibly delicious!

Toisan Savory Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Ball Soup)

lb glutinous rice flour

pork

tsp salt

1/16 tsp white pepper

cornstarch

neutral oil

fish paste

Chinese sausages

shiitakes

2-3 oz of dried shrimp and/or dried scallop

lb Chinese lo bok (Chinese radish / turnip)

lb long napa cabbage

salt (or

chicken bouillon powder (optional)

Neutral oil

cilantro

scallions

white pepper (to taste)

soy sauce (to taste)

Rinse the dried shiitakes, dried shrimp, and dried scallops (if using). Add them to a bowl with 2 cups of hot water, cover the bowl, and let rehydrate.

(Optional) If adding pork to the soup, slice it into strips, then add it to a bowl with salt, sugar, soy sauce, white pepper, and water. Mix well. Once the water is absorbed, add the cornstarch and mix again. Finally, add the neutral oil, and do a final mix. Set aside to marinade while you prep the other ingredients.

Slice the Chinese sausages diagonally on a bias.

Peel the Chinese lo bok (radish) until you get to the more translucent layer. This removes the tough, fibrous skin. Slice into matchsticks.

Slice the long napa cabbage into strips.

Once the shiitakes and dried shrimp are rehydrated, squeeze out all the excess water, and save the soaking water. Remove the tough stems, and slice the caps into strips.

Prepare the ingredients

If your fish paste isn’t seasoned, season lightly with salt and white pepper.

(Optional) Put the seasoned fish paste into a bowl, add a little water and cornstarch, and mix in one direction with chopsticks or your hands until it’s sticky and bouncy like dumpling filling. Doing this will give it a bouncier texture.

Add some oil to a pre-heated pan, and flatten the fish cake into a large pancake. Pan-fry one side until golden brown, then flip and repeat until both sides are nicely golden.

Remove from the pan, and slice into strips.

Pan fry the fish cake (if needed)

In a large mixing bowl, add the glutinous rice flour (save a small handful of flour on the side for dusting the work surface later). Bring the water to a boil, let cool just slightly, and slowly pour in the water in 3 batches, mixing thoroughly with chopsticks in between each pour to let the flour absorb the liquid.

The dough may still look very dry, but start kneading (be careful, as it will be quite hot!), and the dough will slowly become more hydrated and pick up more flour.

If the dough is still very dry and doesn’t pick up the rest of the flour, add a little more hot water. If the dough is still very sticky, add some more flour. Knead for 6-8 minutes or until dough is very shiny and smooth. My mom likes to knead it for a few extra minutes for a chewier texture.

Cover the dough with a wet paper towel to keep it from drying out.

Take a portion of the dough, and roll it out into a long cylinder that’s about 3/4 inch thick. Peel off thumb-sized pieces from this, and roll each piece into a round ball. Place the rolled balls onto a floured surface or tray so they don’t stick to each other.

Repeat until you’ve used up all the dough.

Make the glutinous rice balls

Heat up a large pot or wok (that will fit this whole soup) on medium-high heat, and add neutral oil. Add the dried shrimp (and scallops if using), and stir fry for 1 minute to release its fragrance.

Add the Chinese sausage, and stir fry for another minute or two to release its fats and flavor.

Add the shiitakes, and stir fry for another minute.

Finally, add the pan-fried fish cake, chicken broth, and mushroom soaking water. Bring it all up to a boil.

Once boiling, add the sliced Chinese lo bok. Submerge the lo bok and let it simmer just until they become translucent. They should be firm and still be able to hold their shape.

Add the napa cabbage and marinated pork (if using), and cook until just cabbage is slightly softened. 

Now we’re going to cook the tang yuan in the flavorful broth. First, remove all the ingredients from the soup and set aside, making sure to leave all the broth in the pot. You can do this with a slotted spoon or strainer.

Add the tang yuan to the broth, and simmer until the tang yuan floats. This means it’s ready! Don’t cook it for much longer after this, as they get soft very easily.

Add the ingredients all back into the soup. Season to taste with salt and chicken bouillon powder (if needed).

Serve hot into bowls with scallions, cilantro, white pepper, and soy sauce (optional).

Make the soup and combine

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Top 3 savory tang yuan recipes from across the web

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