Celebrate Togetherness With Tangyuan Glutinous Rice Dumplings

While tangyuan (汤圆, glutinous rice dumplings) are synonymous with Lantern Festival, this traditional Chinese snack is actually eaten at different times throughout the year, most notably during Spring Festival in the south of China. Because of their round shape, people consider them a symbol of togetherness and reunion.

Here we'll walk you through how to make the perfect tangyuan as described by Black Sesame Kitchen:

Ingredients

For the sweet rice dumpling dough:

• 2 cups sticky rice flour
• 1 cup of water

Filling options:

• Red bean or black sesame paste. If using sweet bean, nut, or sesame paste, form into small balls, about 1.5cm in diameter. Chill in the freezer for a few minutes to firm.
• Brown sugar. If using Chinese cane sugar, break it into small chunks.

Instructions

• Kneading the dough: Place the rice flour in a large bowl. Stir in a half cup of water, working it into the rice flour with your hands. Continue slowly adding more water, little by little, mixing thoroughly so it is fully incorporated before adding more. Stop when the dough is springy and soft – not too dry but not slippery. Cover with a damp cloth before filling.

• Wrapping the dumplings: Divide the dough into equal-sized balls approximately 3cm in diameter. Press your thumb into the center of each dough ball to form a well before putting some of the filling inside. Pinch the dough to enclose the filling. Roll the ball between your palms to smooth it out. When all the sweet rice dumplings are filled, set aside the ones you want to cook and eat right away. Any leftovers can be frozen for future use.

• Cooking the dumplings: Fill a pot with water and bring it to the boil. Add the sweet rice dumplings in batches of 10-15, and once the water returns to a boil, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add a cup of cold water. Once the water comes to the boil again cook for a further 2 minutes until the dough is translucent and the dumplings float to the top. Serve with soup and a scoop of osmanthus jam or goji berries (optional).

READ: Why Lantern Festival is the "True" Chinese Valentine’s Day

This post originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids.

Photos: chinasichuanfood.com, Wendy Xu