Tang Yuan (Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls)
Chewy little rice dumplings filled with molten black sesame, served in a warm ginger syrup. A cosy sweet for winter nights.
- Time1 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.42 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, until they smell nutty and start to pop. Tip into a bowl and let them cool.
- 2
Grind the seeds to a rough paste in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Mix in the dairy free spread and icing sugar. Chill for 20 minutes until firm, then roll into 16 small balls.
20 min - 3
Put the rice flour in a bowl and slowly add the warm water, mixing until you have a soft dough like play dough. Add a splash more water if it cracks.
- 4
Break off a walnut sized piece of dough, flatten it in your palm, put a sesame ball in the middle and pinch it closed. Roll smooth. Repeat to make 16 dumplings.
- 5
Bring the 1000 ml water, ginger and brown sugar to a simmer in a large pan for 5 minutes.
5 min - 6
Lower in the dumplings and stir gently. Cook until they float, then simmer for 2 more minutes.
4 min - 7
Ladle the dumplings and syrup into bowls. Serve hot, and warn people that the filling is very hot.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.