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I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, except for a few desserts. One of the Chinese desserts I absolutely love is tang yuan (汤圆) or sweet dumplings filled with black sesame paste or ground peanuts. I am especially partial to black sesame dumplings or 芝蔴汤圆. They are absolutely decadent, with intensely flavorful, sinful rich, and aromatic black sesame filling oozing out of the dumplings, as pictured above.
Black sesame dumplings can be served with plain hot water or with ginger syrup (姜茶). Either way works fine for me, but during colder days, nothing feels quite as invigorating as having a bowl of black sesame dumplings steeped in ginger syrup. Ginger has many health benefits and warms up a cold body like no other…(get black sesame dumplings recipe after the jump)
I used both screwpine “pandan” leaves and dried sweet osmanthus (桂花) for my black sesame dumplings. They impart very subtle and delicate fragrances into the ginger syrup and smell wonderful!
Here is my black sesame dumplings recipe. I will warn you that it takes some patience to make them, but the end results will be well-worth the efforts.
Ingredients:
8 oz. glutinous rice (sticky rice) flour
180 ml water (3/4 cup water)
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons)
Ginger Syrup (姜茶):
5 cups water (reduced to 4 cups after boiling)
1 cup sugar
4 oz. old ginger (skin peeled and then lightly pounded with the flat side of a cleaver)
1/2 teaspoon sweet osmanthus (optional)
2 screwpine leaves or pandan leaves (tie them into a knot, optional)
Method:
Lightly toast the black sesame seeds over medium fire until you smell the aroma of the black sesame seeds. Please take note that the sesame seeds will start popping when they are heated, so use your lid to cover. Don’t burn the black sesame seeds; transfer them out and let cool as soon as they smell aromatic.
Use a mini food processor to grind the black sesame seeds until they become fine. Transfer the ground black sesame into a wok, add sugar and butter and stir well to form a thick paste. If they are too dry, add more butter. Dish out and let cool in the fridge. (This will make the filling easier.)
In a big bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour with water until it forms a smooth paste and no longer sticks to your hands. Divide it equally into 16-20 balls (depends how you like the size, the bigger the size, the easier it is to do the filling). Flatten each ball in your palm, and then use a pair of chopsticks to pick up some black sesame paste and lay it in the middle of the flatten ball. Fold the edge to seal the dumpling. Lightly roll it into a ball shape using both palms, very gently and delicately. Set aside.
Prepare the ginger syrup by boiling the water. Add the ginger and screwpine/pandan leaves (optional) into the water and boil for 10-15 minutes with medium heat. Add sugar and sweet osmanthus and boil for another 5 minutes. Lower heat to simmer and reduce to about 4 cups of water. Add more sugar to taste if you like.
Heat up another pot of boiling water. Drop the dumplings into the hot boiling water. As soon as they float to the top, transfer them out and into the ginger syrup. Turn off heat and serve the black sesame dumplings in a bowl immediately.
Cook’s Notes:
- Traditionally, black sesame paste is made with–yes, you guess it right–pork lard. Pork lard makes the black sesame paste extra silky, smooth, and richer in flavor. Feel free to use lard as you wish, but I chose butter as a substitute.
- Don’t be too greedy with the black sesame paste. Use moderate amount for your dumplings or else the dumplings might “burst” when you roll them into balls. They might also “burst” during boiling.
- You want to boil the dumplings separately so the ginger syrup doesn’t get cloudy. In case some of your black sesame dumplings burst, you will not ruin the ginger syrup.
- If you wish to have the black sesame dumplings without the ginger syrup, just boil them in the hot boiling water and serve your dumplings with that hot water. Eat only the dumplings, but not the hot water.
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there,
This is my first time leaving a comment although I’ve been browsing through your website for a while :) I LOVE black sesame filling tang yuen! I was wondering if i can pre-make and freeze the tang yuan with black sesame in them for future use? Like how it’s sold in asian stores?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Favbabe - thanks for your very first comment. Keep them coming. Yes, you can freeze them and boil them whenever you like. :)
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Favbabe replied:
Thanks for the quick reply! Btw, I love the way you photograph your pictures. The food look soooo appetizing and I’m sure it’s as delicious as it looks :)
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Thanks for the compliment. Yes, pictures speak louder than words. Do let me when you make your black sesame dumplings. :)
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OOoh thank you! I made these when I was in kindergarten (in Hong Kong) and I still remember how it went. Although the ingredients were already prepared for us!
Can I make this in advance and freeze them? If so, should I dip them in cornstarch to prevent sticking?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Hi Yan - yes, you can make them in advance and freeze them but I am not sure about dipping in cornstarch. As long as you separate them and freeze, they won’t stick together.
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yan replied:
Ok I have just started making it… I put the ground sesame, butter and sugar in a pan to make the paste.. but the paste seems too watery…. is it suppose to look like this? or should I add more sesame seeds? I actually used a little less than 1/2 of butter, but it still turned out quite watery.
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yan replied:
Oh nevermind, I think as it cools, it will thicken up :P My kitchen smells SOOOOOO good i want to spoon up the paste and swallow it right now!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Awesome. I hope it works out. Let me know how they turn out.
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They look really delicious and so pretty! I love that first shot!
Cheers,
Rosa
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Rosa - thanks! :)
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My favourite Chinese dessert too and i love to eat it with ginger syrup! I always wonder how osmanthus flower looks like…can get it from chinese herbal shop?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Precious Pea - check out the picture of osmanthus. Yeah, I got mine from a Chinese herbal shop, you can ask them the Chinese name 桂花.
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woah, so beautiful. Me too, I don’t have a sweet tooth but I’ll gobble down all these delicious looking dumplings if I see them ;p
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wow! I have never thought to make tang yuan myself! Now I just might! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
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I love dessert and I especially love black sesame and ground peanut!!!! Red beans is my favourite too! Since I don’t know how to make this tang yuan with filling, I would just buy them from the grocery store locally. I found that boiling them is quite tricky, I always accidentally over-cooked them and cause the filling to leak out :(
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I’m intrigued. I’m not sure I would attempt to make them myself, but I’ll definitely look for them when I’m out for some good Chinese.
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i haven’t been very successful with my black sesame tang yuen–the filling isn;t smooth but i will def use ur recipe next time i cook tang yuan. thanks!
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I love black sesame tang yuen, but peanut tang yuen is equally yummy!
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This is interesting. I had this a lot in my home town in Indonesia … and I always thought that this is a javanese desert. Never thought that this is a chinese desert since I never found it in chinese restaurants. Great pictures, I could imagine the sweetness of the dumpling and the warmth of the ginger broth.
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Hi Bee:
Where do you get your pandan leaves? Frozen? I would love to have a live plant if you have one and bears some anak!
thanks.
Pat
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Pat - yes, they are frozen, I got them from 99 Ranch.
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Wow! Your dumplings look sooo beautifully shiny and smooth. Mine usually looks a little lumpy. What kind of glutinous rice flower did you use? Is it the Thai brand that you usually find in grocery stores or Mochiko?
Do you happen to have other black sesame dessert recipes? I absolutely love black sesame, but I haven’t really found any recipes using them.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
I don’t remember the brand I use. I think it’s a Taiwanese brand.
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Wow! You have such a pair of delicated hands! Your dumplings look so appealing! I must give it a try one day! Hehehe!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
LK - I must admit it was quite a challenge. I wish you do a better job :)
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Finally, an end to frozen, store-bought tang yuens. Hooray!
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Thanks for the introduction to another treat!
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Wow, this sounds easy to make. I have a kilo of black sesame seeds that is languishing in the pantry. Got to try this one. Thanks!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Gay - thanks for trying this sesame dumplings recipe. Let us know how it turns out.
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I’ve never had these before but your photo sure looks tempting!
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mmmm this is my fave too, luckily can be easily found at tong shui shops in KL :D
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
babe - thanks for reminding us how fortunate you are :p
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I love eating tang yuen and there is a pretty good one in town. I have yet to try one with added sweet osmanthus in the syrup.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
ck - if you get to try it, I’d bet you’ll like it.
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Yes, my Mom makes these and I love them. I didn’t know you could use osmanthus in cooking! We have a fragrant bush near our home, but now I know and will put it to good use!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Passionate Eater - growing up, some of the ingredients are indeed buried along the streets’ or some abandonments’ bushes. Make good use of that fragrant bush :)
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Wow! The recipe is so simple, but it really looks so delicious. I want to try it right away! But I’d like some other flavor to the syrup- not really a fan of ginger. How about rose water- how does one make a syrup with that?…..I need to find that out.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Miakoda - too bad you’re not a fan of ginger because this is key to these dumplings dessert. Let me know how your version turns out :)
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Miakoda replied:
Ok, I tried it, ginger and all. You make it sound so easy and I was sweating away here, anxiously waiting for those little white rocks to rise in the boiling water! Could you tell me approximately how long it takes for them to float up?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Hi Mia - sorry I just got this comment. Sticky rice is glutinous rice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutinous_rice). Well, it takes about 4-5 minutes for the dumplings to cook. If you have a deep pot of boiling water, they will sure float up, but if your pot of boiling water is shallow, they might not. But they should be done in 4-5 minutes in hot boiling water. Hope this helps.
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Miakoda replied:
Thanks for replying! It definitely clears up my doubts- what I made is vastly different from what its supposed to be :D ….Never mind, I’ll be coming to Malaysia this year or the next and I’m going to bring back as many ingredients as I’m allowed- sticky rice flour and all :) Thanks again!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Mia - thanks for trying the recipe. May I ask if your version is delicious?
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Miakoda replied:
Hmm…thats a tough one. The filling and the syrup were good, but the rice part wasn’t the right texture or consistency. So I really cannot call it a success :) But as I chewed into it, I did get an inkling of how wonderful the original would taste…. :) But its ok, I plan on trying many more recipes from your blog, you’ll see!!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Miakoda - good luck and yes, go to Malaysia and buy all the ingredients. Send me a note when you go to Malaysia. You definitely want to visit Penang, a UNESCO world heritage site, it has the BEST food in Malaysia. You just have to go! :)
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Miakoda replied:
I will! And thanks for that tip! I’ll drop a note to you before I do go and get a low down on all the foodie things I should do… :) Thanks!
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I like tang yuen with black sesame fillings too! Best! I like your addition of 桂花 :)
Reminds me of a Shanghai dessert.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Tigerfish - yes, I enjoy the Shanghai version, too!
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Peter replied:
How is the Shanghai version different? I had it in Shanghai both homemade (I was staying with a former classmate and his family) and at restaurants. I loved it and would love to replicate it.
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I like the black sesame ones best, and the peanut ones 2nd best =)
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I tried to make it with peanut once. I find it’s extremely hard to warp toe filling. Later I found another way to do it. It’s way easier, but more work.
You first moist the filling with water, then roll the moisten filling on the flour. Repeated it for 10 times, or desire thickness. Saw it from some Chinese recipe.
Hope that helps whom experiencing difficulties, like me <:
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Kairi - thank you for sharing. I will definitely try it.
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wow!! you made your own black sesame tang yuen!! i usually just run to the store to get frozen ones… lol. and i love mine with ginger syrup!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Lingzie - you know I have to try! And it is much better than the frozen ones ;P
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i love tang yuan. tks for sharing this recipe and enticing us with your great photos!
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That looks yummy! Do we use unsalted or salted butter though?
Planning on making this on Mother’s Day (:
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Unsalted butter.
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Can I use roasted/toasted black sesame seeds?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
This recipe calls for toasted black sesame seeds.
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Oh! Sorry but it turns out that I had dried sesame seeds not toasted. Can I use that instead? Sorry for all the questions.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
You just have to follow my exact recipe or it wouldn’t work.
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Just found this today. Can you make this with the store bought sesame paste in a jar? Or will the recipe not work as well?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
I guess it should work, but I have never tried the sesame paste in a jar so use your best judgment.
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Wu replied:
Thanks for the quick reply. I will try this week:) Keep up the great work.
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Thank you for leaving comments. Enjoy the dumplings.
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Wu replied:
Hi Rosa
I couldn’t find black sesame seed paste at ranch 99 so I bought Black sesame powder. It looked like grounded sesame seeds.
Anyways, does it matter what type of sugar is used for this recipe? I am using the sugar cane which is not very fine. When i made my paste, it didn’t taste sweet. Do you think I need to use normal superfine sugar? or will the paste taste sweet in the final product?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Yes, black sesame powder should be the same, but it might not be as aromatic because if you don’t “toast” them. For sugar, it’s up to your taste. If it’s not sweet, add more sugar.
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i am going to try out this recipe as soon as i can. it is my favourite dessert.
thank you so much for this recipe!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
You’re most welcome. You will enjoy this sesame dumplings :)
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Hi ~~ I love this dessert. .. and finally learn how difficult it is to make them ==”
I tried making this last night .. sad to say .. it was an absolute disaster .. :S
1. my sesame paste .. turn into sesame candy after it cool (similar to those teochew style ones.. just harder)… (did i add too much sugar?)
2. The dough is either too runny or too dry.. I tried to slowly add water … but still cant get the consistency right
3. I cheated .. using my store bought red bean paste to make the dumpling … but i cant make the dumpling “close”.
The only thing .. that went right … was the ginger syrup … I loved it ~!.. ~~ really really envy yr skill .. u make it look so easy~!! : D
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Well, the sesame paste is supposed to be somewhat dry and in lumps. It’s fine because after you boil the dumplings, the sesame seeds will drip out of the dumplings. Different brand of glutinous rice flour is different so you just have to improvise. If it’s too dry, add a little water. If it’s too watery, add more flour. You just have to close the dumplings with your fingers, and then roll them lightly in your palms.
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I don’t have a food processor. Can I use a coffee bean grinder to grind the sesame seeds?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Sure, that works.
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I just spent my morning making these and I’m ecstatic with the results! I used to have them frozen all the time growing up. There’s also a bubble tea place close to my old home in NYC’s chinatown that would make these deep fried, which are my favorite way of consuming them. I have to say that I ended up adding an additional 50 ml of water to get a smooth consistency in the flour so that it wouldn’t break. Also, while, rolling, i covered my balls of flour with a damp towel to keep them from drying out. I also used a few drops of water in my palm after closing the dumpling to help smooth out the tang yuan when rolling at the end. It helped immensely! I’ve already eaten a bowl of them and they’re great! I was definitely erring on the cautious side and did not make the skins as thin as I would have liked to consume them, but at least my dumplings didn’t burst in the boiling water! :) Great recipe! I may start making the savory versions with savory filling as well. :)
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Hi,
Your Tang Yuen looks absolutely delectable. I was wondering if you know how to make the peanut filling as well?
Love your blog, its a jem!
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