5 from 33 votes
Tang Yuan
Tang Yuan features glutinous rice dough balls filled with a sweet black sesame paste made from toasted sesame seeds, sugar, and unsalted butter. The sesame filling is frozen into small balls to make handling and stuffing easier. The dough combines glutinous rice flour with warm water for pliability. Cooked in boiling water until they float, the tang yuan are served in a ginger-infused brown sugar syrup that provides a warm, sweet, and slightly spicy broth to complement the nutty sesame filling.
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings:
10
Calories:
263 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
Asian, Chinese
Ingredients
Filling:
- ½ cup black sesame seeds
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tick butter unsalted
Dough:
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- ½ cup water If the dough is dry add 2 teaspoons little by little, warm
Soup:
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 lices ginger (Cut them into strips)
Boil Tang Yuan:
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Wash and rinse ½ cup black sesame seeds a few times to remove dust and impurities.
- Then, pan-fry them on a pan with low heat until it's dried.
- After that, put the black sesame seeds into a chopper. Chop until it is fine and small. Then, add ½ cup of sugar and chop with the black sesame seeds.
- Next, add 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter and chop until it is mixed well.
- After, put the black sesame paste filling in a freezer for 5-10 minutes, making it a little harder and easy to roll.
- Then, roll the black sesame paste filling into little balls. Freeze the black sesame balls overnight. (You can roll them into balls and save the rest. You do not need to use them all at once.)
- Add 1 cup of glutinous rice flour and ½ cup of warm water in a container.
- Mix them and knead them into a dough. (If it is too dry, add 2 teaspoons of water little by little. You can double the flour dough recipe if you want to use all the black sesame balls.)
- Roughly divide the dough into small pieces.
- Flatten the dough into a circle shape. Try to make the side thinner but the middle thicker. Put the frozen black sesame ball in the middle of the dough.
- Close up and roll into a ball. (If the dough is too dry, dip some water in your hand and roll the dough.) Finish the rest of the dough.
- Pour 6 cups of water into a pot. Turn on the high fire and let it boil. When the water is boiling, turn the fire to medium small, add tang yuan to the water, and let it cook until they float on the top (around 5-7 minutes). It is a good sign to know they are ready when they are floating on top.
- Meanwhile, pour 2 cups of water, ½ cup of brown sugar, and 4 slices of ginger (cut them into strips) into another pot. Let it boil for 5- 10 minutes.
- When the tang yuan is ready, drain them, pour the sugar water from step 13, and prepare to serve.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Prepare the black sesame filling a day ahead to allow flavors to develop and ease shaping.
- Toast sesame seeds gently to avoid burning while releasing aroma.
- Freeze filling balls overnight; they can be stored frozen and used as needed.
- If dough is dry, add water gradually and dip hands in water to help with rolling.
- Cook larger tang yuan a bit longer to ensure the center is fully cooked.
- Simmer ginger sugar soup to infuse flavor before serving.
Nutrition Information
Calories
263kcal
(13%)
Carbohydrates
35g
(12%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
13g
(20%)
Saturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Trans Fat
0.4g
(20%)
Cholesterol
24mg
(8%)
Sodium
8mg
(0%)
Potassium
68mg
(1%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
21g
(42%)
Vitamin A
283IU
(6%)
Vitamin C
0.04mg
(0%)
Calcium
89mg
(9%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 263
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 263kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 35g | 12% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 24mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 8mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 68mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 21g | 42% |
| Vitamin A | 283IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 0.04mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 89mg | 9% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.