Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Tang Yuan) With Sesame Filling 🥟

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Chinese sweet glutinous rice dumplings (Tang Yuan or 湯圓) are a beloved classic dessert if there ever was one. They are especially popular during holidays when family and loved ones gather — including Winter Solstice, Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, weddings, birthdays, etc. Their smooth round shape symbolizes togetherness which makes them an auspicious food to eat on those occasions. But really, tang yuan is loved any time of year, by young and old, enjoyed at home or at dessert houses. Tender and chewy glutinous rice dough is filled with a sweet filling — in this case, an oozy sesame filling. For me, tang yuan served in a brown sugar ginger broth is the greatest of all so I’ve included the simple recipe for that here too. Sometimes, tang yuan dough is cheerfully coloured in lovely hues. I divided my dough into four; left one batch plain (white) and used matcha powder (green) and freeze-dried powders of raspberry (pink) and purple potato (purple) for the rest. Alternatively, use food colouring, or replace the water in the dough with juices such as beetroot, pomegranate, carrot, etc. for colour.

Note 1: Equipment for grinding sesame seeds — it’s important to get a fine grind of the sesame seeds to achieve the desired molten, flowing filling when you bite into a dumpling. I use a small Nutribullet to make the filling. If you don’t have a small blender like that, your next best tool is a spice or coffee grinder. Once sesame seeds are grounded to the consistency of damp, fine sand, transfer into a bowl and mix with the caster sugar and butter (melted would be easiest) by hand. If you only have a full-size blender or food processor, I suggest doubling the amount of sesame seeds to have enough volume for it to pulverize properly. You can make a double batch of filling balls which can be kept frozen for 2-3 months for another day.

Note 2: Freezing — once formed, tang yuan can be frozen for another day. Arrange in a single layer, not touching, on parchment-lined tray. Freeze for an hour or until very firm, but not so long that they start to crack. Transfer to a ziptop bag with the air pushed out and store for 3-4 weeks. Cook from frozen exactly the same way as cooking fresh – it will simply take longer for the tang yuan to float to the surface.

Video courtesy of Sonia Wong of @saltnpepperhere on Instagram.

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