Tang Yuan (sticky rice balls)

Small rice balls served in a sweet syrup

China

Dessert
4 persons
30
Mild

With Chinese New Year, Tang Yuan is traditionally served, Tang Yuan is also served at other special festive occasions. It means tang(soup), yuan(round), by the name and shape Tang Yuan symbolizes "the reunion.

Ingredients

180 ml warm water

40 g Chinese block sugar finely chopped

2 bars Chinese block sugar

4 slices of fresh Ginger

1500 ml Water

Preparation method for Tang Yuan (sticky rice balls)

Sift the 200 grams of glutinous rice flour into a bowl.
Add the warm water little by little. Mix the whole with chopsticks or a fork.
Mix until the dough forms a ball and continue kneading with your hands. Then flatten the dough until it is nice and smooth.
Make two long sausages from the dough and divide each sausage into 12-16 pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Then make a well with your thumb and fill it with the finely chopped block sugar. Fold it shut and roll it back into a round ball. Dust each ball with glutinous rice flour and place on a plate. Make sure they don't touch each other. Cover it with cling film so that the balls do not dry out.
Make the ginger syrup. In a pan, bring the water, ginger and block sugar to the boil.
Put the balls in it. Reduce the heat as soon as the balls float. Let it simmer for another five minutes, this will melt the sugar in the balls.
Serve the balls in a small bowl with the syrup. Tip: do not serve 4 or 7 balls. These are unlucky numbers in Chinese culture.