Tangyuan (Black Sesame Rice Balls in Ginger Syrup)
Soft, chewy glutinous rice dumplings with a hot, runny black sesame centre, served in a warming ginger syrup. A Lantern Festival favourite.
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.90 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, then grind in a spice grinder to a rough powder. Mix with the caster sugar and coconut oil to a thick paste.
3 min - 2
Roll the filling into 16 small balls and freeze for 30 minutes so they are firm.
30 min - 3
Put the rice flour in a bowl and add the warm water gradually, kneading to a soft dough like play dough. Cover with a damp cloth.
- 4
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Flatten each, place a frozen filling ball in the middle, wrap the dough around it, pinch shut and roll smooth.
- 5
Simmer the 600 ml water, brown sugar and ginger in a pan for 10 minutes.
10 min - 6
Boil a separate pan of water and cook the balls in batches. When they float, cook 2 more minutes. Lift into the ginger syrup and serve hot.
2 min
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.
