Three winter solstice recipes for tong yuen - glutinous rice flour balls
Celebrate the winter solstice with a meal that includes a traditional Chinese treat the whole family will love, writes Susan Jung.
It's almost the winter solstice - the shortest day (and longest night) of the year, which this time around falls on December 22. It's a time for families to get together and enjoy a meal that includes tong yuen - glutinous rice flour balls, which symbolise harmony and togetherness. Tong yuen stuffed with sesame, red bean or peanut pastes are available in the frozen section of supermarkets, but the following recipes call for plain ones, which are easy to make.
Savoury tong yuen
I had never tasted sweet tong yuen until I moved to Hong Kong because my family ate them in savoury soup. This recipe comes from my favourite uncle, who taught it to my mother. We always made tong yuen and meatballs small, which is time-consuming, but they can be larger if you prefer. Chung choi are salted turnip greens. They come in little bundles and should be unrolled and rinsed well to wash off excess salt.
For the tong yuen:
200 grams glutinous rice flour
About 150ml hot water
For the pork balls:
500 grams minced pork
1 small piece chung choi, rinsed well
20ml soy sauce
10ml rice wine
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper, finely ground
10ml sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
2 spring onions, minced
For the soup:
15ml cooking oil
40 grams dried shrimp, soaked in about 200ml warm water for at least an hour
½ tsp salt
4-5 slices (about 2mm thick) ginger, peeled
About 500 grams Chinese radish (loh bak)
1 can (approximately 400ml) Swanson's chicken broth
15ml soy sauce
Sesame oil
Chopped spring onions, fresh coriander leaves
To make the tong yuen, put the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and add the hot water. Stir with a pair of chopsticks to form a thick mass. If the mixture is dry, drizzle in a little more hot water. As soon as the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it until it's smooth and not sticky. It should be pliable, but firm enough to hold its shape.
Take a portion of the dough (cover the rest with plastic wrap) and shape into a log. Cut the log into smaller pieces then roll each one into a ball about 1cm in diameter. Place the balls on a tray or plate lined with plastic wrap. Don't let them touch each other or they'll stick together. Shape the remaining dough.
To make the pork balls, chop the chung choi and spring onions and add them to the minced pork. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, salt, white pepper, cornstarch and sesame oil and mix thoroughly. Shape into balls about 1.5cm in diameter.
Heat a large pot of salted water and, when it's boiling, add the tong yuen. Cook them in batches if necessary. The tong yuen are ready when they float to the surface. Scoop them out of the water with a sieve or slotted spoon and place in a bowl of cool water.
Cut the loh bak into thick matchstick strips, about 3cm long. Julienne the ginger. Drain the shrimp but reserve the soaking liquid. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the dried shrimp, shredded ginger and salt. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds then add the chicken broth, the shrimp soaking liquid, 15ml soy sauce and about 1.2 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil and add the pork balls. Reduce the heat and simmer for about two minutes. Add the loh bak and simmer until tender and translucent. Drain the cooked tong yuen, add them to the pot and simmer to heat through (about two minutes). Taste for seasonings then ladle into bowls, drizzle with sesame oil and add the coriander and chopped spring onions.
Tong yuen with ginger soup
This is a popular dessert during cooler months because of its warming qualities. I like it strongly flavoured with ginger, with just enough sugar added to balance the heat. If you want it to be more subtle, use less ginger.
150 grams glutinous rice flour
About 100ml hot water
For the soup:
500ml water
3 chunks (about 4cm each) juicy, fresh ginger, peeled
Chinese brown slab sugar, cut into small pieces, to taste
To make the soup, crush the pieces of ginger with the side of a cleaver and put them in a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a colander into another pan and add the sugar to taste.
While the ginger soup is cooking, make the tong yuen as in the above recipe, but slightly larger (about 1.5cm in diameter). Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the tong yuen (in batches, if necessary). When they float to the surface, use a slotted spoon to scoop them out and transfer to the ginger broth. Serve hot.
Tong yuen with sesame, peanuts and coconut
150 grams glutinous rice flour
About 100ml hot water
30 grams white sesame seeds
40 grams peanuts, finely crushed
30 grams desiccated coconut
About 30 grams granulated sugar
Combine the sesame seeds, peanuts, coconut and sugar. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if desired.
Make the tong yuen as before, shaping them into 2cm balls. Cook them in boiling water until they float to the surface. Drain them, blot up excess moisture with paper towels then roll them in the sesame seed/peanut mixture while hot. Serve warm.
Styling: Rachael Macchiesi
