Heartwarming simple and easy homemade glutinous rice balls dessert soup is great for cold days! This tang yuan soup recipe has black sesame filling (芝麻湯圓) and serves with ginger sugar soup.
Love Asian desserts? Check out these sai mai lo, grass jelly, tofu pudding and white rabbit candy ice cream recipes.
What is tang yuan?
Tang yuan literally translated soup balls. It is a Chinese dessert that made from glutinous rice flour with water to form balls and cooked in boiling water. Then, it serves with sweet sugar water. Some have fillings and some don’t.
When do people eat glutinous rice balls dessert soup?
Traditionally, in Lantern festival during Yuan Xiao (元宵), Winter Solstice Festival (冬至), Chinese New Year and family reunion.
People like to make glutinous rice ball sweet soup because it is a symbolic of family gathering and embracing each other.
What are the ingredients in tang yuan?
For the fillings, most people like to use black sesame, peanut or sweet red bean paste. Some even filled with sugar or chocolate.
In this homemade tang yuan soup recipe, I used black sesame filling. Also, I like to add some ginger to make sugar water which gives more flavor to the syrup.
Cooking tips for how to make homemade tang yuan black sesame filling (芝麻湯圓):
- Prepare the black sesame filling the day before.
- Wash and rinse black sesame seeds a few time to remove dust and impurities. Then, turn on low heat to pan fry sesame seeds. The purpose of this is to dry the sesame seeds and scent of sesame seeds will come out as well. Don’t over pan fry them when it’s dry is ok.
- After that, chop the black sesame seeds until it’s fine. Add sugar and unsalted butter blend until is smooth.
- Use unsalted butter is very important.
- I like to put the paste in freezer for 5-10 minutes before rolling like a ball. In this way, it is easier to form a ball.
- Then, lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze them over night . You can save some fillings don’t have to use them all.
- You can make tang yuan when you want to because the black sesame filling can store for a while in freezer.
- Add 2 teaspoons of water slowly in glutinous rice flour dough if it is too dry.
- If the dough is too dry, dip some water on your hand and roll the dough.
- When water is boiling, add tang yuan and let it boil until they float on top. It is a good sign to know it’s done.
- If you make glutinous rice balls too big, it takes a little longer to boil them.
FAQs:
Can I freeze tang yuan?
Yes, you can freeze them. It can last for few months in freezer.
How to cook frozen black sesame rice balls?
Don’t defrost them before cooking. Boil water in a pot and wait until it’s boiling, then put frozen glutinous rice balls. Let it boil until they are floating on top.
What to do if the dough is dry?
Dip some water in your hand and roll the dough until it’s not too dry and crack.
Instructions for how to make Chinese homemade black sesame filling tang yuan:
Filling:
1. Wash and rinse 1/2 cup black sesame seeds a few times to remove dust and impurities. Then, pan fry them on a pan with low heat until it's dried.
2. After that, put the black sesame seeds into a chopper. Chop until it's fine and small. Then, add 1/2 cup of sugar and chop with the black sesame seeds. Next, add 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter and chop until it mixed well.
3. After, put the black sesame paste filling in a freezer for 5-10 minutes, so they are little bit harder and easy for rolling. Then, roll them into little balls. And, freeze the black sesame balls overnight. (You can roll them into balls and save it. Don't need to use them all at once.)
Dough:
4. In a container, add 1 cup of glutinous rice flour and 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix them and knead them into a dough. (If it is too dry, add 2 teaspoons of water little by little. You can double the flour dough recipe if you want to use all the black sesame balls all at once.)
5. Roughly divided the dough into small pieces.
6. Flatten the dough into a circle shape. Try to make the side thinner, but middle thicker. Put the frozen black sesame ball in the middle of the dough. Then, close up and roll into a ball. (If the dough is too dry, dip some water on your hand and roll the dough.)
7. Boil water in a pot, wait until water is boiling. Add tang yuan into water and let it boil until they float on the top. When they are floating on top, it is a good sign to know they are done.
Soup:
8. At the meanwhile, in another pot pour 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 4 slices of ginger. Let it boil for 5- 10 minutes.
9. When the tang yuan is ready, pour the sugar water over and serve.
Enjoy this tasty Homemade Chinese tang yuan dessert soup recipe! Also, check out these black sesame soup, sweet red bean soup and glutinous rice dessert soup recipes.
You May Also Like These Recipes:
Subscribe Oh My Food Recipes to get our new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest updates.
Tang Yuan
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1/2 cup Black sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 stick Unsalted butter
Dough:
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- 1/2 cup Warm water (if the dough is dry add 2 teaspoons little by little)
Soup:
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar
- 4 slices Ginger (cut them into strips)
Instructions
- Wash and rinse 1/2 cup black sesame seeds a few times to remove dust and impurities. Then, pan fry them on a pan with low heat until it’s dried.
- After that, put the black sesame seeds into a chopper. Chop until it’s fine and small. Then, add 1/2 cup of sugar and chop with the black sesame seeds. Next, add 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter and chop until it mixed well.
- After, put the black sesame paste filling in a freezer for 5-10 minutes, so they are little bit harder and easy for rolling. Then, roll them into little balls. And, freeze the black sesame balls overnight. (You can roll them into balls and save it. Don’t need to use them all at once.)
- In a container, add 1 cup of glutinous rice flour and 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix them and knead them into a dough. (If it is too dry, add 2 teaspoons of water little by little. You can double the flour dough recipe if you want to use all the black sesame balls all at once.)
- Roughly divided the dough into small pieces.
- Flatten the dough into a circle shape. Try to make the side thinner, but middle thicker. Put the frozen black sesame ball in the middle of the dough. Then, close up and roll into a ball. (If the dough is too dry, dip some water on your hand and roll the dough.)
- Boil water in a pot, wait until water is boiling. Add tang yuan into water and let it boil until they float on the top. When they are floating on top, it is a good sign to know they are done.
- At the meanwhile, in another pot pour 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 4 slices of ginger. Let it boil for 5- 10 minutes.
- When the tang yuan is ready, pour the sugar water over and serve.
Video
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make homemade tang yuan black sesame filling:
- Prepare the black sesame filling the day before.
- Wash and rinse black sesame seeds a few time to remove dust and impurity. Then, turn on low heat to pan fry sesame seeds. The purpose of this is to dry the sesame seeds and scent of sesame seeds will come out as well. Don’t over pan fry them when it’s dry is ok.
- After that, chop the black sesame seeds until it’s fine. Add sugar and unsalted butter blend until is smooth.
- Use unsalted butter is very important.
- I like to put the paste into freezer for 5-10 minutes before rolling like a ball. In this way, it is easier to form a ball.
- Then, lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze them over night . You can save some fillings don’t have to use them all.
- You can make tang yuan when you want to because the black sesame filling can store for a while in freezer.
- Add 2 teaspoons of water slowly in glutinous rice flour dough if it is too dry.
- If the dough is too dry, dip some water on your hands and roll the dough.
- When water is boiling, add tang yuan and let it boil until they float on top. It is a good sign to know it’s done.
- If you make glutinous rice balls too big, it takes a little longer to boil them.