Blue Pea Flower Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Filling ~蓝花黑芝麻汤圆

Yesterday we celebrated the Lantern Festival aka Chap Goh Meh or Chinese call it Yuan Xiao (元宵节) which celebrated on the fifiteenth day of the first month of the Chinese calender . It is also marks the end of the traditional Chinese New Year celebration.

Made these glutinous rice balls aka tang yuan with blue pea flower (second type of edible flower i am using) for our family reunion dessert. It is kind of special to eat blue color tang yuan ^_^  
No worries about artificial coloring. It is natural blue color from the Blue Pea Flower. I don't mind to eat more and my family love it too!!

Don't you find the blue color tang yuan looks 
very soothing!! They are yummy too!

Blue Pea Flower or Butterfly Pea Flower

 Blue Pea Flower Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Filling.

Black Sesame Seed Filling.

 Preparing this tang yuan is quite easy. First, prepare the pandan syrup. If you like ginger syrup just add few slices of ginger into the water to infuse instead of pandan leaves. Second, prepare the black sesame seed filling. This part need a bit of work as the black sesame seed need to be rinse, drain and toast in a dry wok until it start to pop. Do not over toast or it will taste bitter. Let it cool then grind it in a food processor and mix with sugar and soft butter. Shape them into balls and put them into the fridge. It will become harden and wrapping into the dough will be much easier. 

Get ready the ingredients       Mix the dry ingredients and
                                        add in the wet ingredients
                            and mix, mix, mix....

If you find the dough is too dry, add some water, a little
 at a time (1 tsp). If you find it is too wet, add some glutinous
flour, a little at a time too (1 tsp) until it comes into a soft
pliable dough.

Roll the dough into a long rope and cut into 1cm cube. Roll
between your palm into a ball and flatten it into a disc.

Wrap in a piece of black sesame seed filling and enclosed
it neatly.

Lightly roll it between your       These are all done !!      
palm into a ball.                                                     

                Drop them into the pot of      Boiled until they started to float.         
boiling water .                                                             

Oops!! I did not tied a good knot!!
The pandan leaves loosen :p

The black sesame seed filling is so fragrance, Love its
nutty aroma!

Blue Pea Flower Glutinous Rice Ball (tang yuan) with Black Sesame Filling

Adapted from kuali.com by Chef Amy Beh

Makes about 25-27 small balls (i made quarter of the recipe)

Ingredients:      

Dough for blue tang yuan:                                                                         

25g glutinous rice flour                                                                          

1 tsp tapioca flour

4g shortening (i added)

40-45 ml  blue flower extract**

Dough for white tang yuan:

25g glutinous rice flour

1 tsp tapioca flour

4g shortening (i added)

40-45 ml water

Pandan syrup:

500ml water

3 pcs pandan leaves, knotted

25-30g brown sugar

Black Sesame Seed Filling:

25g black sesame seeds 

15g soft brown sugar

12g soft butter

To Do:

1. For the pandan syrup:

Pour 500ml of water into a pot. Add in knotted pandan leaves. Bring to a boiled about 4-5minutes, add brown sugar, stir well. Set aside. 

2. For the filling:

Rinse black sesame seeds in clean water. Drain and toast in a clean dry wok, on medium heat until the seeds starts to pop. Dish out and let it cool. Grind the seeds in a food processor till fine. Remove and mix with sugar and butter. Divide the filling into portions, shaped it into balls and freeze it. By freezing it, it is easier to handle when wrapping it into the dough.

3. For the dough:

Mixed blue pea flower dough ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour in water and mix into a pliable dough. Repeat the same 'to do' to the white dough.Set aside, cover with a damp cloth. (Do take note, if the dough is too dry add some water, a tsp at a time. If the dough is too wet add some glutinous rice flour, a tsp at a time too till your achieve a soft and pliable dough.) 

Rolled the blue pea flower dough into a long rope. Cut into 1 cm cube. Flatted it into a thin disc and wrapped a piece of the black sesame filling. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, drop the tang yuan in and cook until they start to float. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and immerse them into a pot of ice cold water.

To serve:

Dish out some pandan syrup into a bowl and add a few tang yuan balls. Serve immediately.

**to extract the blue color from the blue pea flower. I use 25 blue pea flower and boiled with 250ml water for 3-5 minutes, low heat. Fish out all the blue flower and this is the blue color extract. I only use 45ml, i still have some balance left. Stay tune to see what i will do with the balance of it ^_^

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up event hosted by Sweet Home-Chefs
with her February 2016 theme - Chrysanthemum and edible flowers
organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and myself, my little favourite DIY, 

Please link your post - this 

Interested to join us?? Just cook or bake with Chrysanthemum and edible flowers and link with us at this post. Please do display this Little Thumbs Up badge and make sure that:

1) Your post must be a current post, preferably within this month

2) Please mention Little Thumbs Up in your post

3) Please also paste the Little thumbs Up badge in your post and link back to , Bake for Happy Kids and me my little favourite DIY

**What is coming up next?? 
We are having Joyce from Joy 'n' Escapade, in the next coming event. It is wonderful to have her to host in March with her theme HONEY!! 

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