Tong Yuan (Chinese Sweet Rice Dumplings) | Vegan Recipe

Tong yuan, or glutinous rice dumplings, are commonly enjoyed for Lunar New Year, also known to some as Chinese New Year, and especially for the Lantern festival. These rice dumplings are soft and chewy and swimming in a light ginger syrup.

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Links mentioned in this video:

Asian Grocery Store Haul:    • Vegan Asian Grocery Haul! T&T Superma...  
Sweet Red Bean Paste:    • Red Bean Paste (紅豆沙) | Vegan Recipe  
Amazon link for Brown Cane Sugar: http://amzn.to/1whI7QG

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TONG YUAN RECIPE
Makes...a lot :-)
Printable recipe: http://www.marystestkitchen.com/chine...

Ingredients(US)
For dough:
1 cup glutinous rice flour (also known as sweet rice flour)
1/2 cup water

about 1/2 cup your choice of fillings such as Chines brown cane sugar chunks, red bean paste, crushed peanut paste, or black sesame paste.

For ginger syrup (enough for about 9-12 dumplings, multiply ingredients if cooking larger batches of dumplings):
2 cups water
few slices of ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar or 1/2 bar Chinese brown cane sugar

Ingredients(Metric)
For dough:
200g glutinous rice flour (also known as sweet rice flour)
100ml water

125cc your choice of fillings such as Chines brown cane sugar chunks, red bean paste, crushed peanut paste, or black sesame paste.

For ginger syrup (enough for about 9-12 dumplings, multiply ingredients if cooking larger batches of dumplings):
473ml water
few slices of ginger
60cc brown sugar or 1/2 bar Chinese brown cane sugar

Directions

Prepare the ginger syrup. Combine all the syrup ingredients in a pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.

Prepare your fillings. If using sweet bean, nut or sesame paste, form it into small balls, about a quarter to a half inch in diameter. Chill in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. If using Chinese cane sugar, break the into small chunks.

Prepare the dumpling dough. Combine the rice flour with water. Mix well, using hands to knead to form a smooth dough.

Taking small pieces of dough form balls about 1" to 1 1/2" in diameter (2.5 - 4 cm). Set aside.

Fill the dumplings. Press your thumb into the center of a dough ball to form a well. Place a piece of filling inside and pinch up the dough to enclose it. Roll it between your palms to smooth dumpling. Continue with the rest.

When the dumplings are filled, set aside the ones you want to cook and eat right away apart from the ones you want to freeze for future use.

To freeze, space out the dumplings on a baking sheet or freezer-safe dish. Place in the freezer for an hour or until the dumplings are solid. Then remove from the baking sheet or plate and store in a freezer bag with the air pressed out.

To cook the dumplings, bring your ginger syrup back up to a boil. Lower the temperature so that it continues to boil but gently.

Add the dumplings to the syrup, spacing them out so that they don't stick together. Do not crowd them.

Cook for 5 minutes or until the dough becomes a bit translucent looking and they float to the top.

If cooking from frozen, cook until the dumplings float.

Serve immediately with a little bit of the ginger syrup.

Enjoy!

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