Here's a delightful Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls (also called tang yuan) recipe that's served in a Sweet Ginger Soup! Made with mochiko flour, tapioca starch, sugar, ground black sesame seeds, and hot water, these rice balls are packed with flavor as well as nutrients that are good for you. It's up to you if you want to have these rice balls with a filling or go without, but I highly recommend you try the black sesame paste and white bean paste filling (recipes below)!
Here's why I love this recipe
- no-bake, and so easy to prepare
- vegan and gluten-free
- flavorful and nutritious
- high-fiber, so it keeps you fuller longer
Ingredients Used to Make Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local Asian grocery store (or the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Glutinous Rice Flour - this goes by many names. You'll see Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko Flour (my favorite brand) in Asian grocery stores, and Sweet White Rice Flour in most other stores. ***Please note that regular white rice flour or brown rice flour is NOT the same thing as glutinous rice flour!!!
- Tapioca flour (flour but also called tapioca starch) - Arrowroot starch and Potato starch can also be used instead. I DO NOT recommend using cornstarch for this recipe.
- Sugar of Choice – I used raw cane sugar in this recipe, but sugar free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener are perfectly acceptable substitutes.
- Black Sesame Seeds - I used raw (unroasted) black sesame seeds, but roasted or toasted seeds are great, too. To ground the seeds to use in this recipe, simply blend the whole seeds in a mini blender or coffee bean grinder.
Filling Ingredients
- Sweetened White Bean Paste (a.k.a. Shiro An) - the white bean version of the sweetened red bean paste. The white bean paste has milder, and creamier flavor. You can also make your own at home! Here's my Shortcut White Bean Paste Recipe I make when I don't have Shiro An at home.
Or,
- Black Sesame Paste filling - recipe here
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls
Prep the Filling
First, prepare the filling by rolling the sweet bean paste into teaspoon sized balls. Keep the filling in the freezer until ready to use.
STEP 1
In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (mochiko flour, tapioca starch, sugar and ground black sesame seeds)
STEP 2
Add the water, and knead all the dough ingredients together until smooth and pliable, and no longer sticky.
STEP 3
TIP: more water may need to be added depending on the brand of glutinous rice flour you use. The goal is to get a soft and pliable dough that is easy to work with and doesn't crack when shaping. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, you can always add more glutinous rice flour to adjust the consistency.
STEP 4
Take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in the palm of your hand.
STEP 5
Place the prepared filling in the center of the dough and gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, rolling it into a smooth ball.
STEP 6
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
STEP 7
Boil a quart or two of water in a large pot. Also, get a ice bath ready (such as a bowl of ice water)
Carefully drop the prepared balls into the boiling water. If using a smaller pot, work in batches. Once the glutinous rice balls are done cooking they'll float towards the top (takes about 5 minutes). Once done, use a sieve or tea strainer to pull them out of the water, and emerge in ice water until fully cooled.
STEP 8
Enjoy! Serve with a Sweet Ginger Soup base (more info on the recipe card)
Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls Filling Variations
There are many creative filling variations you can explore for tang yuan. Here are some ideas to try
- Black Sesame Paste: The classic and most common filling, black sesame paste provides a rich and nutty flavor while also being nutritious! Here's an easy black sesame filling recipe that I use.
FAQ: Do You Need to Fill the Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls?
Nope, the filling is completely optional. Glutinous Rice Balls can also be enjoyed as plain glutinous rice balls without any filling. I also like to skewer the tang yuan like you would with the Japanese Dango!
How to Store Glutinous Rice Balls
- Unfortunately, these Glutinous Rice Balls have the best texture and flavor when freshly made. But if you have leftovers or want to store them long term, here's what you cand do: arrange the fully cooled Glutinous Rice Balls on a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. When you're ready to eat them, boil them in water or steam them to reheat before serving.
Final Tips
- Proper dough consistency - More water may need to be added depending on the brand of glutinous rice flour you use. The goal is to get a soft and pliable dough that is easy to work with and doesn't crack when shaping. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, you can always add more glutinous rice flour to adjust the consistency.
- Preventing dough from drying out - While working with the dough, cover the Glutinous Rice Balls dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. This will make it easier to shape the Glutinous Rice Balls and keep the dough moist.
- Filling - Be mindful of the amount of filling you put in each Glutinous Rice Balls. Use about 1 teaspoon of filling to avoid overfilling, which could lead to difficulties sealing the dough or the filling leaking out during cooking.
Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Ginger Soup
Ingredients
Tang Yuan Dough
- 100 g mochiko flour, sweet rice or glutinous rice flour , about ⅔ cup
- 7 g tapioca, potato or arrowroot starch , 1 Tbsp
- 12 g sugar , 1 Tbsp
- 28 g ground black sesame seeds , about ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp
- 90 g hot water , about 6 Tbsp
Filling Ingredients
- 12 tsp sweetened white bean paste (shiro an) Read notes ** for alternative tang yuan filling ideas
Sweet Ginger Broth
- 4 cups water
- 50 g sliced ginger
- 60 g brown sugar , about 4 Tbsp
Instructions
Prepare the Sweet Ginger Broth
- In a pot, mix together the broth ingredients and heat until the water comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Strain the broth to remove the ginger slices. Set aside to cool.
Prep the Filling
- First, prepare the filling by rolling the sweet white bean paste into teaspoon sized balls. Keep the filling in the freezer until ready to use.
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (mochiko flour, tapioca starch, sugar and ground black sesame seeds)
- Add the water, and knead all the dough ingredients together until smooth and pliable, and no longer sticky. TIP: more water may need to be added depending on the brand of glutinous rice flour you use. The goal is to get a soft and pliable dough that is easy to work with and doesn't crack when shaping. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, you can always add more glutinous rice flour to adjust the consistency.
Assemble
- Take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in the palm of your hand.
- Place the prepared filling in the center of the dough and gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, rolling it into a smooth ball.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Cook the Glutinous Rice Balls
- Boil a quart or two of water in a large pot. Also, get a ice bath ready (such as a bowl of ice water)
- Carefully drop the prepared balls into the boiling water. If using a smaller pot, work in batches.
- Once the glutinous rice balls are done cooking they'll float towards the top (takes about 5 minutes). Once done, use a sieve or tea strainer to pull them out of the water
- Let the glutinous rice balls cool fully in the ice water.
- Remove from the ice water and transfer to the prepared ginger broth or broth of choice.
- Enjoy!
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