Xian Tang Yuan (Savory Stuffed Rice Balls)

Ingredients

• glutinous rice flour (used to make the dough)
• shiitake mushrooms (sauteed for the filling)
• shallots (sauteed for the filling)
• ground meat (such as pork or chicken for the savory filling)
• soup broth (for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the filling by sautéing chopped shiitake mushrooms and shallots until fragrant and softened.

2. 2

   Combine the sautéed mushrooms and shallots with your choice of ground meat and seasonings to create a savory filling.

3. 3

   Pro Tip: Scoop the filling into small portions and freeze them briefly before wrapping; this makes the assembly process much easier.

4. 4

   Prepare the dough by mixing glutinous rice flour with water (typically boiling water for a partially cooked dough) until a soft, pliable mochi-like consistency is reached.

5. 5

   Flatten a small piece of dough, place a portion of the chilled filling in the center, and pinch the edges to seal, rolling it into a smooth ball.

6. 6

   Bring a pot of water or soup broth to a boil.

7. 7

   Drop the rice balls into the boiling liquid. If cooking from frozen, they can be added directly to the pot.

8. 8

   Boil until the rice balls float to the surface and the dough is translucent and cooked through.

9. 9

   Serve the hot rice balls in a bowl of hot soup broth.

Notes

You can make a large batch of these rice balls and freeze them raw. They can be boiled straight from frozen whenever a craving hits. The dough is naturally gluten-free despite the name 'glutinous' rice flour.

Nutrition per serving

• mochi
• dumplings
• savory
• gluten-free
• comfort food
• Taiwanese
• dinner
• boiled