Hēi Zhīma Tāngyuán (黑芝麻湯圓) – Black Sesame Rice Balls in Ginger and Osmanthus Syrup

Ingredients

Rice Ball Dough:

• 500g (about 3 cups plus scant 3T) Long Grain Glutinous Rice Flour
• 150g (½-cup, plus 2T; 5¼oz) Boiling Water
• 245g (1 cup, plus 1t; about 8½oz) Room Temperature Water

One Recipe of:

• Black Sesame Peanut Filling

To Finish:

• 40g (about ¼-cup) Long Grain Glutinous Rice Flour, for dusting

Ginger and Osmanthus Syrup, for 3 people:

• 600ml (2½ cups) Water
• 45g (about ¼-cup) Brown Slab Sugar
• 18g (1T) fresh Ginger, finely grated
• 8g (1T) dried Goji Berries
• 1½g (½T) dried Osmanthus Flowers

Procedure

• In a large bowl, measure out the rice flour, then pour in the boiling water. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spatula. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes for the rice flour to hydrate.
• Add the rest of the water and mix until well combined. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
• Measure out the rice ball dough to 17g pieces, and the filling to 10g balls.
• Flatten the dough into a disc, then place the filling in the center. Wrap the dough around the filling and pinch the dough together to seal. Give the tāngyuán a gentle roll to keep them round, a quick toss in some rice flour, and set them on a plate.
• Boil a pot of water, carefully place the desired amount of rice balls into the pot, and cook until they begin to float, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• While bringing the pot of water to a boil, gather the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat up the syrup until it simmers, then turn off the flame.
• Plate the cooked tāngyuán into a serving bowl, and ladle the syrup over the rice balls. Enjoy eating them surrounded by family and friends.
• Place the rest of the finished tāngyuán onto a small sheet pan or plate to partially freeze for 30 minutes, then store in a zip-top bag or sealed container for later consumption.

*Bunny Wisdom*

• The Chinese and Thai brands of rice flour are usually long grain, while the Japanese brands are often short grain. The short grain rice flour will create a stickier texture, which isn't what we're looking for in this recipe.
• It is possible that the dough may not come together. You might notice a few dry patches. Add about a tablespoon of water, one teaspoon at a time, to see if the mixture comes together better. All the flour should be hydrated and incorporated into the dough.
• Keeping the dough covered with some cling wrap will prevent drying, especially during the measuring and shaping.
• It's easier to roll the sesame filling into balls when they have been refrigerated, or slightly frozen. I measure out my paste ahead of time to make the wrapping process faster. Keep the measured filling on a few plates and place into the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Making the edge of the dough thinner allows for more even distribution of rice ball dough, especially at the overlapping part (the seam).
• A dusting of rice flour helps prevent the balls sticking to the plate and each other.
• This recipe should make roughly 50 rice balls, but the syrup mixture is measured for only 3 people. Adjust the syrup recipe up or down to make sure everyone gets to sip on some lovely fragrant soup.
• Goji berries are optional, but they're nice to have in the syrup. The flavors of the osmanthus, berries, and ginger together are really delicious.
• Osmanthus flowers are in the form of loose tea. It's available in your local Asian supermarket or tea shop.
• Even if you can't source the goji berries and the osmanthus flowers, combining ginger, sugar, and water can also be a simplified way of enjoying these sesame and peanut tāngyuán.