My Secret to Making Perfectly Cooked Tang Yuan (汤圆)

I’ve grown up with the sweet glutinous rice balls and have only ever tried black sesame or red bean stuffed ones. This time I found a matcha version and just had to try it. The result was this deliciously chewy wrapper, only achieved by this double boil method, with this sweet and slightly bitter custard like filling. Nothing can ever beat black sesame but I’ll definitely always have a stash of these matcha tang yuan in my freezer from now on.

Here’s how to cook frozen tang yuan perfectly every time:

• Choose a pot that’s large enough for the tang yuan to float at least 2 inches from the bottom

• Add enough water so that it goes halfway up the pot then bring to a boil first

• Leave the tang yuan in the freezer until the water is boiling, then gently slide them into the water with a spoon

• Immediately agitate the tang yuan so that they don’t stick to the bottom and then let the water come to a boil again, stirring the tang yuan occasionally so they don’t stick

• Once the water is boiling again, the tang yuan most likely will be floating — if they aren’t yet, keep boiling until the tang yuan float

• Once the tang yuan are floating add 1/4 cup of room temp water into the pot — you’ll see that the water stops boiling

• Let the water come to a boil again and at that point the tang yuan are finished

• This double boil method ensures that both the outside and inside are thoroughly cooked, especially important when you’re cooking something straight out the freezer

This method also works when you’re boiling frozen dumplings or wontons!