Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Soup (Tang Yuan)

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Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Soup or better known as 'Tang Yuan' in Asia is one of my favorite desserts. This dessert is synonymous with 'Dongzhi' or Winter Solstice Festival.  There a various versions of Tang Yuan. This dessert is made with glutinous rice flour and can be brightly colored or stuffed with various fillings such as black sesame, peanuts, and red bean.

My version here is a simplified one without coloring or filling.
 
In a mixing bowl, place 1/2 cup of glutinous rice flour and 1/4 cup of water. Gently mix the flour and add additional water (1/2 teaspoon at a time) until you can form a dough-like texture. Please note that you may have some water left over, and that's ok. If you find that your dough is still too sticky, add a little more flour.   

Once done, drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil and knead the dough again.
 
Pinch out small portions of the dough and form them into balls. 1/2 a cup of flour should yield approximately 40 - 44 small balls.


Getting this done will take you a few minutes. So, just before you start working on portioning out the dough... you can heat up 6 cups of water in a pan, add the pandan leaves, ginger/ginger powder, and brown sugar/honey. I like my Tang Yuan dessert with more ginger heat, and less sweetness. So, adjust the amount of ginger and sugar according to your own taste preference. 

When you're almost done with your dough, turn the heat up and bring the ginger soup to a boil. Once ready, gently place the glutinous rice balls into the pan and let them cook on high heat for a few minutes. You'll notice them floating to the surface once they are ready. 


You can serve them warm or chilled.  

 
Happy trying, and remember to have fun in the kitchen!

Ingredients:

(A)
  • 1/2 cup of glutinous rice flour
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1/4 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
(B)
  • 6 cups of water
  • 1 inch sliced ginger root /  2 teaspoons of ginger powder (adjust according to individual preference)
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar / honey (adjust according to individual preference)
  • Optional  - 2 pandan leaves (screwpine leaves)

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