It’s that time of the year again!  No, I don't mean Christmas (although Christmas is one of my favourite holidays).  I’m talking about my other favourite holiday: Lunar New Year (or Chinese New Year)!  Today marks the first day of the New Year, this year being the year of the ram!  

Why do I like Lunar New Year?  Well to sum it up, it’s basically a traditional Chinese holiday that has lots of good vibes, a time for family gathering and happiness!  

Oh, and let’s not forget about food.  

Yup, lots and lots of yummy food.  

Traditionally, the family gathers for a big feast on the last day of the Lunar New Year.  Then, on the second day, one would abstain from eating meat.  On the third day, we feast yet again!





One of the desserts we eat during the Lunar New Year festival is called tang yuan, which are sweet chewy dumplings made with glutinous rice flour.  Traditionally, tang yuan are filled with sugar cane rock candy.  However, nowadays, we can find multiple variations of this dessert: chocolate, fruit preserves, black sesame, red bean, peanuts, etc.

This Lunar New Year, I decided to make a trio of tang yuan: red bean, black sesame and almond-hazelnut!





Okay, so originally I wanted to make peanut filled tang yuan but I realized I had no peanuts at home.  But let me tell you, using almond and hazelnuts turned out just as delicious.

When I was little, my family used to buy the frozen tang yuan from chinese grocery stores.  However, as my family’s taste has changed to "healthier" and less sweet foods, I’ve tested, tried and learned to make my own tang yuan and fillings so that we don't need to eat the overly sweet store-bought ones.  So, just a little note, if you are used to eating super sweet stuff, you might want to add more sugar than I used in the recipe!




Since the fillings do take a bit of time to prep and cook, I highly recommend making the fillings ahead of time so you don’t, you know, go crazy making tang yuan.  Especially since this recipe makes about 65 tang yuan…s (is making tang yuan plural a thing?) 

If you do decide to make these all in one go (you deserve a gold star), make the red bean filling first, as you can make the black sesame and almond-hazelnut filling while the red bean cooks. 

The ginger soup recipe that I included yields enough for 24 tang yuan.  This is assuming that you won't be cooking all 65 tang yuan at once!  However, if you are, feel free to double the recipe, etc. 




Of course, also feel free to half, quarter or even double this recipe as you please!  Tang yuan are freezer friendly, so after filling and rolling the tang yuan, you can store them in an air-tight container and keep them in the freezer for about a week.

Chow and enjoy!  


Tang Yuan Trio in Ginger Soup (Red Bean, Black Sesame and Almond-Hazelnut)
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Red Bean Filling:
(makes about 1 and 1/4 cup of filling)

1/2 cup dried adzuki (red) beans
1/4 cup~ brown sugar
salt

Using a strainer, rinse the adzuki beans to clean them.  If you spot any dry or shrivelled beans, discard them.  Toss the adzuki beans in a medium pot and cover them with water, about 1 inch above the beans.  Partially cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat off.  Fully cover the pot with the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.

Remove the beans from the heat and drain the water.  This is will take away any remaining debris from the beans.  Toss the beans back into the pot and cover them with water, about ½ inch above the beans.  Partially cover with a lid and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for about 1 hour (if you haven't made the black sesame and almond-hazelnut fillings, now will be a good time to do so).  Remove the beans from the heat.  Drain and reserve the liquid that was used to cook the beans.  

Again, toss the beans back into the pot.  On medium heat, add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.  If the beans are getting too dry, add a bit of the reserved liquid as needed.  Stir occasionally and cook until all the sugar is dissolved.  The beans will start to soften and you'll be able to mash them on the side of the pot.  But if you're lazy like me, you can toss the beans into a food processor.  Transfer the red bean paste into a bowl and let cool.  Stick it in the fridge to chill.  This will allow for easier assembly later.

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Black Sesame Filling:
(Makes about 1/2 cup of filling, feel free to double or half the recipe)

1/2 cup black sesame seeds
5 to 6 tablespoons water
1/2 to 1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil because it was what I had on hand)
1 to 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar

In a medium, dry frying pan, toast the black sesame seeds on medium-low heat until fragrant, stirring occasionally to keep them from burning.  Transfer the toasted black sesame seeds to a tray and let cool.  Toss the toasted black sesame seeds in a food processor and process until sesame is fine (almost like granulated sugar).  Scoop the ground black sesame back into the frying pan.  On medium-low heat, add your sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Add the oil and then add the water one tablespoon at a time.  Stir, to form a thick paste.  Remove the black sesame paste from the heat and transfer to a bowl.  Let cool and then place it in the fridge to chill for a few minutes while you prep your other fillings.

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Almond-Hazelnut Filling:
(makes about 1 cup of filling)

3 oz ground toasted almonds/hazelnuts
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 ½ - 4 tablespoons natural peanut or almond butter (I grounded my own, no sugar or oil added)
2 to 3 tablespoons water

Toss the ground almonds/hazelnuts into a medium, dry frying pan.  On medium-low heat, stir in the brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Add the nut butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir and form a thick paste.  If it’s not sticking together, add some water as needed.  Remove from the nut paste from the heat and transfer into a bowl.  Let cool and then place it in the fridge to chill for a few minutes.

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For the Tan Yuan (dumplings):
Yield: about 65 dumplings

200g + 200g glutinous rice flour, divided
about 3/4 cup + 3/4 cup water, divided
red bean filling (above)
black sesame filling (above)
almond-hazelnut filling (above)
water, for boiling the dumplings

For the Ginger Soup:
Yield: enough to serve about 24 tang yuan (feel free to double the recipe, etc.)

3 cups water
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
brown sugar to taste


Place half of your glutinous rice flour (200g) in a medium bowl.  Mix in ¾ cup of water, a little bit at a time, until a smooth dough forms.  The dough should stick together, but it shouldn't stick to your hands.  If it’s too sticky, add some more flour and if it’s too dry, add some more water as need.  Roll glutinous rice dough into small balls, about 1 inch.  Form your fillings into small balls too, slightly smaller than your glutinous rice balls (look at the picture above for reference).  

To wrap the tang yuan, flatten the glutinous rice ball using your palm and place a ball of filling in the center.  Fold the edges to seal tight.  Gently roll the tang yuan using your palms to form a sphere again.  Make sure you don't overfill your tang yuan and that it is completely sealed or else the filling will fall out when you cook it!  Place your filled tang yuan on a parchment lined tray or plate.

To prepare the ginger soup, bring three cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.  Add the sliced ginger into the pot and boil for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat.  Stir in the sugar, to taste (I used about 2 tablespoons) and boil for another 5 minutes.  Turn the heat to low and let simmer.

In a medium-large pot, bring 3 cups of water to boil.  Carefully drop the tang yuan into the pot.  Once the tang yuan are cooked, they will float to the water surface.  Scoop out the tang yuan and place them into their serving bowls.  Don't let the tang yuan sit in the boiling water once they are ready as they will overcook and become too sticky!  Turn off the heat for the ginger soup and scoop the liquid into the serving bowls.  Serve warm.