Tang yuan is a dish of glutinous rice balls served in a sweet broth. In Chinese culture, it is traditionally served on Dong Zhi, the winter solstice. By eating tang yuan, you welcome in the winter and become one year older.
Tang yuan makes a delicious winter snack and is easy to prepare. Despite its association with mid-winter, it can be enjoyed at any time of year.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- 4 ounces water
- Brown sugar to taste
- Food coloring (optional)
- Fresh ginger (optional)
Preparation:
Pour the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and slowly add water until the mixture becomes the texture of dough. You may not need the entire 4 ounces of water to reach the proper consistency. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. You can divide the dough in half and add food coloring to one half.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll it into small balls.
Drop the balls into boiling water and cook them until they float - about 5 to 10 minutes.
While the balls are cooking, prepare a sweet soup by boiling water and adding brown sugar. Fresh ginger can also be added to the soup.
Put the cooked balls into the soup and serve.
Tong Yuan can also be stuffed with a paste made from peanut butter, black sesame seeds or red beans.
