Pumpkin Black Sesame Tang Yuan
Halloween is here and I wanted something cozy, sweet and a little festive. So I made Pumpkin Black Sesame Tang Yuan. Chewy rice balls with nutty black sesame filling , served in warm sweet ginger soup with dates and goji berries. It’s comforting, golden like a pumpkin and perfect for a cold day.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 200 g pumpkin, sliced
- 150 g glutinous rice flour
- 1/2 tsp neutral oil
- 100 g black sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp honey (not-too-sweet!)
- 50 g unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups water
- 20 g Chinese slab sugar
- 6 slices ginger
- 1/2 cup Dried Chinese dates
- 1/4 cup goji berries
Instructions
- 1
Make the sweet ginger soup:
- 2
In a small pot, add water, Chinese slab sugar, ginger and Chinese dates. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add goji berries last, just before serving. While the soup simmers, make the tang yuan.
- 3
Prepare the black sesame filling:
- 4
Toast black sesame seeds in a pan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until they smell fragrant and nutty. Let them cool completely, then grind until fine (a coffee grinder works well).
- 5
In a bowl, mix the ground black sesame with softened butter and honey until it forms a paste. Adjust sweetness to taste.
- 6
Line a small rectangular container with parchment paper, spread the sesame paste evenly, and freeze for 30 minutes until mostly firm. This makes it easier to cut into even squares and roll into small balls (around 9g each). Keep the filling balls frozen until ready to use.
- 7
Make the pumpkin dough:
- 8
Slice 200g of pumpkin into thin pieces for faster steaming. Steam for about 15 minutes until soft enough to pierce easily with a fork. Blend into a smooth puree (or mash well).
- 9
In a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree and gradually mix in the glutinous rice flour in three additions. The exact amount of flour depends on how much moisture your pumpkin has. For 200g of pumpkin, I used about 150g of flour. Knead into a smooth ball; the dough should be soft and not too sticky. Add a bit of neutral oil to keep it moist, then cover with a damp towel and set aside.
- 10
Shape the tang yuan:
- 11
Take the black sesame paste out of the freezer, cut it into even squares, and roll into about 20 balls (around 9g each). Keep them in the freezer while you shape the pumpkin dough.
- 12
Divide the pumpkin dough into 20 pieces (about 15g each). Keep the dough covered with a damp towel while you work to prevent it from drying out. Flatten each piece into a small disc, place a sesame ball in the centre, and wrap it gently. Pinch to seal, then roll between your palms until smooth.
- 13
Cook the tang yuan:
- 14
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently add the tang yuan and stir right away to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until they float to the surface, then let them boil for another minute.
- 15
Serve:
- 16
Reheat the sweet ginger soup, add the cooked tang yuan, and serve warm.