:: tang yuan ::

I could not wait to annouce I have finally done my own mood board. I am absolutely + deeply in love with it and it looks so gorgeous + candy eye. The mood board inspires + drives me eargerly of getting a Photoshop CS5. But it took me few days [dummies like me] of exploring my the magical software, staying up late. Dean was teasing me, " O, seems my wife has got a high paid job this time". Anyway don't you think so the mood board looks greater in extra large size in blog?




Let's start mood boarding with these ones. I spotted "tang yuan" in strawberry and chocolate in Wal Mart yesterday! I was attratced by these little pops of Sinian "tang yuan" [glutinous rice balls] with filling of strawberry + chocolate yesterday and decided to give it a shot. I believe many might be thinking what is so special about it. Originally the "tang yuan" skin is made of glutinous rice + its sweet filling which could be 


+ black sesame
+ chopped peanut with sugar
or
+ rock sugar


So, It is a new product! It is common in China to have "tang yuan" for breakfast. Unlike with Malaysia culture, "tang yuan" is associated to the celebration of the Lantern Festival, Winter Solstice and also Chinese New Year.

Here is the 'tang yuan' recipe from Rasa Malaysia. Try it out!


Ingredients :



Syrup
1/3 cup sugar
1.5 cups water
2-3 screwpine leaves/ ginger




Rice Dumplings
2 cups glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp fine sugar
7 oz water
Food coloring, optional [2-3 different colors]

 Preparation
+ To prepare syrup, boil water in a pot. Add the screwpine pleaves and let it boil on medium fire for 5 minutes. Add sugar and let it boil for 5 minutes. Lower fire and let it simmer to another 15 miuntes. Sugar can be added to taste if you like. Set aside.
+ In a big bowl, mix glutinous flour with sugar.
+ Add water and knead to form a paste. Continue to knead until it form a soft dough and no longer sticks to your hands.
+ Divide into 3-4 portion and add 2-3 drops of food coloring to the each portion of dough.
+ Divide into small balls and lightly shape into balls using both palms.
+ Set aside a few hours or overnight as this will make the dough a bit harder and easier to handle.
+ Boil another pot of water, drop the dumplings into the boiling water. As soon as it floats to the transfer it to the syrup water.
+ Serve.