Tang Yuan with Peanut Filling (Glutinous Rice Balls) - 2 ways
Servings: 28 large tang yuan
Soft and chewy sticky rice balls are filled with creamy sweetened peanut filling or the oozy /molten lava peanut filling and served in sweet ginger broth. Gluten-free and vegan-friendly.
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Ingredients
Dough:
- 200 gr glutinous rice flour 1 1/2 cups + 5 Tbsp
- 40 gr icing sugar 6 Tbsp
- 120 ml boiling water 7 Tbsp
To color the dough- use either one: (optional)
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 100 ml pandan juice make sure it's hot
For molten lava peanut filling:
- 100 gr creamy peanut butter or almond butter 6 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp. make sure to stir the peanut/almond butter if using natural type
- 60 gr roasted unsalted peanuts 1/3 cup
- 40 gr softened butter 1/8 cup
- 20 gr sugar 1 1/2 Tbsp
- 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds roasted (optional)
For regular peanut filling:
- 60 gr roasted unsalted peanuts 1/3 cup, see notes
- 40 gr sugar 3 Tbsp
- 1 Tbsp oil
- Small pinch of salt
The sweet ginger broth:
- 4 cups water
- 100 gr sugar 1/2 cup or brown sugar (yield darker broth)
- 50 gr fresh ginger 1.7 oz
- 3 screwpine leaves /pandan knotted
Instructions
Prepare the sweet ginger broth:
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add ginger, screwpine leaves, and sugar. Bring it back to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Have a taste and add more sugar if you like
Prepare the filling (can be prepared several days before):
- For molten lava peanut filling, put the roasted peanuts in a food processor and process until they almost turn into powder. Mix the peanut butter with sugar and butter. Cover and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or longer. After that, portion them out into 28 portions and roll them into round balls the best you can and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put them in the freezer again and let them chill while you are preparing the dough
- For regular peanut filling, put the roasted peanuts in a food processor and pulse a few times until they almost turn into powder. Add sugar, oil, salt and stir to combine
Prepare the dough:
- Place the flour, icing sugar, and matcha powder (if you choose to use) in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Start with 100 ml of hot boiling water (make sure it's really hot) or pandan juice (boil it to make sure it's hot) and stir with a spoon and when it's not too hot anymore, knead with your hands until you get a non-sticky dough that is soft and pliable. If it's too dry, add a bit more water, it shouldn't be too wet that it sticks to your hands or bowl but it should be a smooth and stretchy dough
Shape and fill the dough:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the tang yuan. Divide the dough into 28 portions. Work with 1 dough at a time and keeping the rest covered with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Take one dough and make an indentation in the middle and stretch to form a bowl. Take one of the peanut ball (for molten lava peanut) or scoop the peanut filling and place it in the middle of the dough. Gather the side of the dough and enclose it and roll them in between your palms to make it round. Make sure you seal the tang yuan nicely or the filling will leak out when you cook them, especially if you make the molten lava filling. If the dough gets dry, dab with some water and then gently roll it smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and continue with the rest
- If you use molten lava filling, keep the tang yuan chilled in the fridge so the peanut filling won't soften and the tang yuan will start to stick to the plate. Repeat with the rest of the doughs
Cook the glutinous rice balls:
- When water comes to a rolling boil, add the tang yuan and cook until they float to the top and let them cook for another minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and submerge them in a large bowl of water to prevent sticking. The water doesn't need to be ice cold. I just use regular room temperature water
Serve:
- Portion out the cooked balls into serving bowl and ladle the sweet soup over it and serve
Video
Notes
You can also use creamy peanut or almond butter and omit the oil in the recipe
