Black Sesame, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Glutinous Rice Balls (Tangyuan 汤圆)

22 December 2015 - Peanut Butter (green) Chocolate (pink) and Black Sesame (white) Tangyuan

Tangyuan (汤圆 tāngyuán) is a Chinese food 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. They are traditionally eaten during Yuanxiao or the Lantern Festival, but also served as a dessert on Chinese wedding day, Winter Solstice Festival (Dōngzhì), and any occasions such as family reunion, because of a homophone for union (团圆  tuányuán).

In both filled and unfilled tangyuan, the main ingredient is glutinous rice flour. For filled tangyuan, the filling can be either sweet or savory. The sweet fillings can be chocolate paste (softened butter mixed with cocoa powder and stirred until blended), a piece of cut sugarcane rock candy, fruit preserves, sesame paste (ground black sesame seeds mixed with sugar and lard), red bean paste (Azuki bean paste), chopped peanuts (or peanut butter) and sugar.
Tangyuan are first cooked in boiling water. Once cooked, savory filled tangyuan are served in a clear soup broth, whilst sweet filled tangyuan are served in a ginger infused syrup.

The recipe for reference are from Lady and Pups and Rasa Malaysia

Tangyuan

For the peanut butter filling I used coarsely ground peanut, peanut butter and palm sugar. Mix together and shape into ball.

Chocolate-peanut butter and black sesame filling

For the chocolate peanut butter filling I used chopped dark chocolate mix with peanut butter and shape into ball.

For the black sesame filling I used toasted and grinned black sesame; peanut butter; sugar and sesame oil/lard. Mix together into paste, cooled in refrigerator, shape into ball and freeze.

Uncooked Tangyuan

For the glutinous rice wrapper (makes 15 big balls) from Lady and Pups:

190 g glutinous rice flour
130 g water
2 Tbsp oil

Mix the flour with water. Make two balls (1 Tbsp each) cooked in boiled water. Knead the balls into the flour mixture and add oil. Adjust the consistency if needed with more flour or water.

For the soup I used a ready mix instant ginger tea "Jahe Wangi".