Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Syrup (Che troi nuoc)

🧂 Ingredients

• 3.5 oz mung bean

  (about 100grams)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

  (5ml)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk

  (80ml)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  (or more to taste)
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut

  (optional)
• 7 oz glutinous rice flour

  (about 200grams)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5/6 cup lukewarm water

  (about 200ml)
• 4 cups water

  (960ml)
• 1 2” long chubby piece of ginger

  (peeled and thinly sliced)
• 7 oz palm sugar

  (about 200grams, to taste)
• 1-2 knotted pandan leaves

  (optional)
• toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

• 1 If you have time, soak mung bean in water for 4-6 hours or overnight. You can
  skip soaking, but you will need to increase cooking time.
• 2 Wash and drain mung bean. Add salt and mix well. Set up a steamer and steam for
  about 15 minutes or until mung bean is soft. If you don’t soak the mung bean in
  advance, steam for longer and add a couple teaspoons of water to the mung bean
  when steaming.
• 3 Mash or process mung bean finely in a food processor. In a pan over medium low
  heat, add olive oil and transfer mung bean to the pan. Add sugar, coconut milk
  and shredded coconut. Mix well to combine into a mixture which you can squeeze
  and form balls easily.
• 4 Use a little over 1/2 tablespoon of filling (tightly packed) to make a ball of
  filling. You can make about 25 balls. Set aside.
• 5 In a mixing bowl, add glutinous rice flour and mix in salt. Add lukewarm water,
  mix to combine and knead for a couple of minutes into smooth dough. (If mixture
  is too wet, add a little more flour. If mixture is too heavy and dry, add a
  small amount of water.)
• 6 Divide the dough into 25 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour. Roll
  each piece between your palms to form a small ball of dough. While you work
  through the dough, cover the portion that hasn’t been used with damp towel to
  prevent it from drying.
• 7 Flatten the ball of dough with your hand into a round with 2” – 3” diameter.
  Place a ball of filling in the center, gently wrap the the dough tightly around
  the filling: use your fingers to stretch and wrap, then pinch the dough at the
  top to seal it. Roll the ball between your palms to smooth the outside and form
  round shape.
• 8 Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then lower heat to medium – medium high.
  Add rice balls, when they float to the surface, cook for one more minute and
  then transfer to an ice bath.
• 9 In a pot, add all ingredients to make the syrup. Bring to a boil then lower heat
  and simmer until sugar is dissolved and water has been infused with ginger
  scent.
• 10 Remove rice balls from ice bath and add them to the pot of ginger syrup. Simmer
  for 5-7 minutes.
• 11 Transfer rice balls to serving bowls, sprinkle sesame seeds, ladle ginger syrup
  into each bowl and serve hot.

Nutrition Info