Bluepea Flower Kuih Ee/Tang Yuan/Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Syrup

Bluepea Kuih Ee Tang Yuen Glutinous Rice Balls.png

Since today is the Winter Solstice celebration for the Chinese...here's the RECIPE for Kuih Ee/Tang Yuan/Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Syrup. There are many variations to this dish nowadays but this is the way our grandma used to make for us when we were kids.

Recipe by Mama Ding

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Total Time | 1 hr 10 mins

Prep Time | 30 mins

Cook Time | 40 mins

Servings : 4 - 6

Ingredients

For the kuih ee~

  • 2 cups glutinous rice flour

  • 1 cup water

  • Some food coloring or use pandan/bluepea/beetroot juice

    For the ginger syrup~

  • 5 cups water

  • half cup sugar or to taste

  • a pinch of salt

  • 2 cm (1 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

  • 2 screwpine/pandan leaves, knotted

Method

01 Make the ginger syrup first.

In a pot, place the water, sugar, ginger slices and pandan leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins. Remove the ginger and pandan leaves. Set aside.

02 While the ginger syrup is simmering, make your kuih ee.

In a large bowl, mix together the glutinous rice flour and water. Knead with your hand until a soft workable dough is formed.

Add 1 or 2 tbsp water if the dough is too dry. Add more 1 tbsp of glutinous rice flour if the dough is too wet.

03 Divide dough into a few portions. Color each portion with your preferred food coloring or natural coloring. Knead to mix the color well. Leave one portion uncolored. Rest the dough for 15 mins.

04 When ready, pinch about a teaspoon of the dough and roll between your palms to make round balls. Place on a plastic sheet in a tray.

05 When all the balls are rolled, boil a big pot of water. Carefully transfer the balls of dough into the boiling water. When the dough balls float, they are cooked.

Remove and transfer them into your prepared ginger syrup.

Dish out into individual bowls and serve hot or with ice.

Notes

If you prefer to be traditional, make only white and red/pink colored balls.

This year, we decided to go blue. The marbled blue ones were made by pinching half teaspoon of blue dough and half teaspoon of white dough. Mix the two dough together and roll into a ball.

It is better to separate the boiled glutinous rice balls from the syrup if not serving immediately. If they are left in the ginger syrup for a long time, the color will seep into the syrup. You’ll end up with blue ginger syrup!

Dessert, Sweet SoupMama Ding1 Comment