In Chinese culture, the 15th day of the Lunar New Year is known as the Lantern Festival, 元宵節, (pronounced yuan xiao jie in Mandarin; yoon xiew jzeet in Cantonese). This is the night of the first full moon in the new year. To celebrate, people eat tang yuan (or tong yoon in Cantonese) because its round shape resembles the moon.
Tang yuan (湯圓) are rice balls made with glutinous rice flour. The most common type of tang yuan that you’ll see people eat during the Lantern Festival are ones filled with black sesame, red bean paste, or peanuts. Although this style of filled tang yuan is not common in my family’s native Toisan region, we’ve often purchased frozen ones from Asian grocery stores.
My mom showed me how to make black sesame tang yuan a few years ago, and I’ve been playing around with different variations for the filling. In general, most recipes make the filling with black sesame seeds, sugar, and butter. Butter solidifies the filling when it is chilled, making the filling a lot easier to shape for the dumplings.
I wanted to add more layers of flavor to the filling, so instead of using plain unsalted butter, I browned the butter to add malty notes. I also added a bit of vanilla and salt to the filling to balance the sweetness. These flavors come together so well when you eat the tang yuan together with the brown sugar and ginger broth!
COOKING NOTES FOR BLACK SESAME TANG YUAN
WHAT FLOUR TO USE
To make tang yuan, you need to use glutinous rice flour. I typically use the Erawan brand of flour, which is produced in Thailand. You can also use the Sunlee brand of glutinous rice flour as well, both of which can be found in Asian grocery stores. This type of flour usually comes in bags with the green label (affiliate link).
DO NOT use rice flour in the red label. This is not the same as glutinous rice flour. The dumplings will be solid when you cook them. Rice flour in the red label is generally used for the firm, steamed rice cakes or other types of steamed cakes, like lo bak go (turnip cake/radish cake).
I have not tested this recipe with Mochiko (Japanese-style sweet rice flour). Because mochiko has a coarser texture, I’d imagine that the texture of the tang yuan won’t be as smooth.
WHY USE HOT WATER TO MAKE DOUGH
I like using boiling hot water to make the dough because it yields a more supple dough that you can easily wrap around the filling. If you make the dough with room temperature water, you’ll find that the dough feels very stiff, making it more difficult to shape around the filling.
Once you make the dough, you should use it to shape the dumplings immediately. Once the dough cools, it develops a crust, causing the dough to dry out and crack. The tang yuan won’t have a smooth surface if you use dry dough. Also, the dumplings might not seal properly, and may split open during the cooking process.
MAKING BLACK SESAME FILLING
The black sesame filling is very runny after you blend it in the food processor. That’s why it’s essential that you chill the filling before shaping it into balls. I usually chill the just-blended black sesame filling in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge for a few hours. Try not to leave it in the freezer for too long because the paste will be difficult to scoop.
Once chilled, divide the filling into smaller portions and into balls before chilling again. Chilling the black sesame balls will make the wrapping process much easier.
BREAKING UP THE WORK
When making these black sesame tang yuan, I like to break up the work by preparing the filling a day ahead. After I shape the filling into tiny balls, I freeze it overnight. The next day, I will make the dough and wrap the dumplings.
SEAL THE DUMPLINGS PROPERLY
After you roll out the tang yuan into a ball, check the surface to see if any filling is peeking through. Make sure that the filling is completely sealed inside the dough. If you see a tiny hole or a hairline crack where black sesame filling is coming through, cover it. There’s a tiny bit of excess dough in this recipe that you can use to patch any holes. If you don’t seal the dumpling properly, it will split open during the cooking process and the black sesame filling will leak out.
GINGER BROTH
I usually cook the black sesame dumplings in a lightly sweetened brown sugar broth with ginger. The broth isn’t meant to be incredibly flavorful. It just adds a slight hint of flavor to the dumplings when you eat it (as opposed to eating the dumplings with just plain water).
FREEZING BLACK SESAME TANG YUAN
It’s not uncommon for the exterior of the tang yuan to crack during the freezing process. It’s totally normal, and the cracks will seal together during the cooking process. That said, if there’s a little bit of black sesame filling peeking out of the filling through a crack, this dumpling likely will burst open during the cooking process.
Black Sesame Tang Yuan (黑芝麻湯圓)
Makes about 24 tang yuan. Because these tang yuan are quite rich, I generally eat only 3 or 4 black sesame tang yuan at a time. I prefer cooking the wrapped tang yuan in smaller batches (enough for me and my husband). If you also want to cook the tang yuan in smaller batches, feel free to halve the amount of the ingredients in the broth section and cook the tang yuan in a small saucepan.
Ingredients
Black Sesame Filling
- 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (135g) black sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or a pinch to 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (see note 1)
Dough
- 1 3/4 cups (245g) glutinous rice flour
- 2 to 3 cups water you will not use all of this to make the dough
Broth
- 9 cups (2L) water
- 6 tablespoons (75g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 slices of ginger optional
Instructions
Make Black Sesame Filling
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter melts completely, reduce the heat slightly and let the butter bubble for another minute. Once you start noticing tiny golden specks at the bottom of the saucepan and reduce the heat slightly again. Stir the butter with a spatula or wooden spoon. Keep a watchful eye because the butter can burn easily at this stage. Continue heating the butter until more golden specks of milk solids form and then turn brown, like the color of milk chocolate. Turn off the heat and pour the browned butter into a bowl immediately. (For reference, it usually takes me about 4 minutes to melt the butter and brown it to the desired color.)
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Toast the sesame seeds in a skillet over medium-high heat. In 2 to 3 minutes, you should be able to smell a faint nutty aroma coming from the seeds and see light wisps of smoke coming up the sides of the skillet. Turn off the heat and let the seeds cool for a few minutes.
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While the seeds are still warm, very carefully transfer the seeds to the bowl of a food processor, making sure not to spill the seeds everywhere. You can also transfer the seeds to a bowl first if you think you’re going to make a mess.
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Add the browned butter, powder sugar, vanilla, extract, and salt (if using). Blend the mixture for about 4 to 5 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula frequently. Keep blending the mixture until you get a runny black sesame mixture (see photo below, left). Transfer the filling to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or freeze for about 20 minutes, until the filling turns solid.
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Put on a pair of disposable gloves. Then, line a large plate or quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop out 10 to 11 grams of the black sesame filling (about 2 teaspoons) and roll the filling into a tiny ball. Transfer the ball to the lined plate (or sheet pan), and continue scooping out and rolling the black sesame filling into balls. After shaping about 12 to 13 black sesame balls, you may start to notice that the butter is melting and shaping the filling is getting messier. I like to pop the filling back into the freezer for 10 minutes at this stage to chill the filling again. Once you’ve shaped all of the black sesame filling into balls, freeze them again for at least 30 minutes or overnight (I usually freeze overnight).
Make Dough
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Boil 2 to 3 cups of water in a small saucepan. (Note: you won’t use all this water to make the dough. I like to have more boiling hot water on hand and you can see note 2 for an explanation.)
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Pour the glutinous rice flour into a medium to large mixing bowl. Then, dip a 1/4 cup metal measuring cup in the saucepan and use it to measure out 3/4 cup of boiling hot water, pouring that hot water over the flour. Be careful during this step or else you may accidentally scald yourself. When you pour the hot water over the flour, you can notice the flour starting to gelatinize (see photo below, left). That’s exactly what we want at this stage.
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Use chopsticks or a large fork to stir the water into the flour. Once incorporated, you can cover the bowl with a large plate, silicone lid, or a damp towel and let the dough cool for a minute before kneading by hand. I am okay mixing the dough right away, but I may have slightly more weathered hands that can tolerate heat. Gather and knead the dough together. If the dough is still looking a bit dry (like the photo above, right), pour a tablespoon of the hot water over the loose flour, and continue kneading the dough (I usually need this additional tablespoon of water). Keep kneading the dough until you get a cohesive dough that’s a bit tacky to touch, but not too sticky. Place the dough in the bowl and cover it with a silicone lid, plate, or damp towel. Don’t let this dough sit for too long because it will dry out, making the wrapping process more difficult.
Shape Tang Yuan
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Line a large plate or quart sheet pan with parchment paper. I like to shape the tang yuan 5 at a time. That way, the filling won’t melt as I shape the dumplings, and the dough won’t dry out. Take 5 pieces of black sesame filling out of the freezer and place it on a plate. Then, rip off 5 small pieces of dough that’s between 15 to 16 grams each (just over 2 teaspoons). Leave 1 piece of dough out and place the other 4 small pieces back into the bowl, covered. This dough crusts over and dries out quickly, so try to cover it up as much as possible.
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Take the small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Then, press your thumbs in the middle and shape the dough into a small bowl shape that’s about 2 inches in diameter. If you are finding it difficult to shape into a bowl, just flatten the dough into a round disc.
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Place a piece of chilled black sesame filling in the center. Use the crook of your hand to start wrapping the dough around the filling (see photos). I like to use my left thumb to hold the filling down, and use the crook of my right hand to wrap the dumpling. If this shaping process feels very unnatural, just wrap the dumpling the best you can.
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Finally, use your fingers to pinch the opening together to seal the dumpling, making sure that the filling is completely sealed. Roll the ball once again, until you get a smooth, round ball. Transfer the shaped dumpling onto a lined plate or quarter sheet. Continue shaping the remaining 4 small pieces of dough around the 4 black sesame balls. Then, shape the remaining dumplings, 5 at a time.
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Once you’ve shaped all the dumplings, you can freeze them for later or cook them now.
Cook Tang Yuan
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Add 9 cups of water to a saucepan. Add the brown sugar, ground ginger, and ginger slices. Cover the sauce pan and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high, and carefully add 12 tang yuan to the sugary liquid. Stir the dumplings for about 30 seconds to make sure they don’t just sink to the bottom. The dumplings should be fully cooked in about 4 minutes (they’ll float to the top). If you’re cooking frozen dumplings, they’ll take about 5 minutes to cook.
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Transfer the dumplings to bowls, with a bit of broth. Then, cook the remaining dumplings. Cooked tang yuan are best served immediately to ensure that the filling is still runny and the doughy exterior is nice and soft.
Notes
- Using salt in the filling: I like adding salt to the filling because I find it very sweet otherwise. Some of you may wonder why I don’t just reduce the amount of sugar in the filling. That’s because you do need a certain amount of sugar to make the filling runny. If there’s a higher black sesame-to-sugar ratio, you’ll notice that the filling is a lot more stiff. Simply adding more butter won’t solve the issue either because the additional fat changes the mouthfeel of the dumplings when you eat it. When I tried using more butter, I found that the fat coating the roof of my mouth as I ate the tang yuan, making the experience less pleasant.
- Boiling a larger quantity of water: Some of you might wonder why I don’t just measure the exact amount of water I need to make the dough and just boil it in the saucepan. That’s because water evaporates during the boiling process, and it’s hard to predict how much water gets lost. That’s why I prefer boiling a larger batch of water on the stovetop, and then dipping a metal measuring up into the hot boiling water to measure what I need to make the dough. Furthermore, depending on your kitchen, you may need slightly more water to make the dough.
- Boiling water on stovetop vs electric kettle: I recommend boiling the water on the stovetop as opposed to using an electric kettle. Electric kettles tend to shut down the second the water reaches boiling point. I noticed when I use the water from an electric kettle to shape the dough, the water seems to cool a bit quicker, which affects the elasticity of the dough.
Nutrition
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