Red Bean Tangyuan

Add the red beans and water to a medium bowl. Cover the bowl and let soak at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight. 

Drain the beans and discard the water. In a saucepan, add the soaked beans, 3 cups of fresh water, and sugar. 

Bring the water to a vigorous boil over high heat before lowering the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours while occasionally checking to replenish with water if needed (the beans should never be poking above the water).

Pierce the red beans with a fork to check for doneness; they should be super soft. If they’re not, add more water if needed and replace the lid and continue cooking. Once the beans have completely softened, turn the heat up to medium and simmer with the lid off to evaporate the excess moisture. 

Once almost all of the water has evaporated, smear the beans on the sides of the pot to mash the red beans into a paste. Let cool before transferring to a container and pressing plastic wrap directly against the red bean paste to prevent a skin from forming. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.

In a large bowl, add the glutinous rice flour and boiling water. Stir until it becomes a shaggy dough and is just cool enough to handle. If the dough is too dry, add boiling water a teaspoon or two at a time as needed.

Dump the shaggy dough out onto a clean surface and knead it together to form a soft and round dough.

Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half with plastic wrap and set it aside to prevent drying out. Roll the other half into a ball and divide into 8 equal pieces (I like to use a bench scraper to divide the dough). 

Grab one piece and cover the remaining dough with plastic wrap.  Roll out into a log and divide in half. Roll both halves into a ball and place one under the plastic wrap. Use your thumb to make an indent in the remaining dough ball.

Scoop out about 1/2 teaspoon of red bean filling and place it in the center of the indent. Press the red bean filling into the center and roll the dough edges to create a small wall around the filling. Pinch the walls to seal in the filling and roll until it becomes a smooth ball. 

Roll the tangyuan in excess glutinous rice flour to prevent it from sticking and place on a baking sheet. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel.

Repeat these steps with the other piece of prepared dough, then with the rest of the tangyuan dough.

At this point, you can freeze the tangyuan or cook them. 

To freeze: Dust a baking sheet with glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking. Spread the tangyuan apart into a single layer. Freeze for 4 hours, or until they are fully frozen, before transferring them to a freezer bag. You can cook them directly from frozen, just add a few minutes to the cook time.

To cook and serve: In a pot, add the ginger, dark brown sugar, and water. Stir over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the tangyuan and cook for 5 minutes or until they float to the top, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick to the pot. For a clear soup, use a spoon to skim off any foam from the top.

Use a ladle to scoop the tangyuan and soup into bowls. Serve warm.

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