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Black Sesame Dumplings (Tang Yuan) - This recipe calls for a perfect dessert with sweet black sesame paste dumplings served in ginger syrup.
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…
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 528 calories per serving.
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Black Sesame Dumplings (Tang Yuan)
Ingredients
- 8 oz (250g) glutinous rice, sticky rice flour
- 180 ml water
- 1/4 cup black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 stick, 1/4 cup unsalted butter
Ginger Syrup (姜茶):
- 5 cups water, reduced to 4 cups after boiling
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 oz (125g) 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
Instructions
- Lightly toast the black sesame seeds over medium heat until you can smell their aroma. Note that the sesame seeds may start to pop, so cover the pan with a lid. Be careful not to burn the seeds; transfer them out to cool as soon as they become aromatic.
- Use a mini food processor to grind the black sesame seeds until fine. Transfer the ground sesame into a wok, add sugar and butter, and stir well to form a thick paste. If the mixture is too dry, add more butter. Dish out and let cool in the fridge to make the filling easier to handle.
- In a large bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour with water until it forms a smooth paste that no longer sticks to your hands. Divide the mixture into 16-20 equal balls (the size can vary depending on your preference; larger balls are easier to fill). Flatten each ball in your palm, then use a pair of chopsticks to pick up some black sesame paste and place it in the center of the flattened ball. Fold the edges to seal the dumpling, then gently roll it into a ball shape using both palms. Set aside.
- Prepare the ginger syrup by boiling the water. Add the ginger and screwpine/pandan leaves (if using) and boil for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Then, add sugar and sweet osmanthus, and boil for another 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the mixture to about 4 cups of liquid. Adjust sweetness by adding more sugar to taste, if desired.
- Heat another pot of boiling water. Drop the dumplings into the hot water, and once they float to the top, transfer them to the ginger syrup. Turn off the heat and serve the black sesame dumplings in a bowl immediately.
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have always had tong yuan with a ginger syrup…I am so excited to try one with sweet osmanthus instead! THANK YOU!
Hi Bee! I’ve been eyeing off this recipe for a while and am thinking of making them later on today for Chinese New Year! Thanks for the inspiration! Just a question, if I wanted to make the dumplings a couple of hours in advance, what would be the best way to store them to cook later on in the day?
Chill in the fridge.
What if have no flour only Sticky rice? What’s your recommendations? Ty
Won’t work.
there are recipes to turn sticky rice into mochi online
I finally got around to making these, and they were delicious! Much easier than I had anticipated, I’ll make them again. I also froze 8 and cooked them the next day, still simple and delicious. Thank you!
i forgot to toast the black sesame seeds & only realized after i made the paste. so now im missing the nutty, aromatic flavor from it. any solution on this??
how much does this recipe yield?