Black Sesame Tangyuan in Pandan Coconut Milk (Chinese × Thai)

Method

1. Toast the sesame in a dry 20 cm frying pan over medium-low heat for 4 min, stirring, until it smells nutty and a few seeds pop, then tip it out to cool. Add the desiccated coconut to the same pan and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until pale golden; set it aside for the topping. Coconut burns quickly, so don't walk away.

   Add in this stepBlack sesame seeds (raw) 40 gUnsweetened desiccated coconut 2 tbsp

   medium-low heat

2. Grind the cooled sesame with the filling sugar in a spice grinder or mortar until it looks like damp sand, then mix in the coconut oil to make a dark paste. Freeze for 15 min until firm, roll into 10 balls of 1.5 cm and freeze them again. Cold coconut oil sets fast, which makes shaping easy.

   Add in this stepSugar (for the filling) 30 gCoconut oil (solid) 20 g

3. Add the warm water to the glutinous rice flour a little at a time, stirring, then knead by hand into a dough as soft as an earlobe. If it cracks, add a few drops of water; if it sticks, a little more flour. Cut into 10 pieces and cover with a damp cloth.

   Add in this stepGlutinous rice flour 100 gWarm water (about 40 °C) 90 ml

4. Press one piece into a 6 cm cup, wrap a frozen filling ball inside and pinch to seal. Roll between your palms until round with no cracks. Repeat with the rest.

5. Tie the pandan leaves into a knot. Put the syrup water, palm sugar and pandan in a 18 cm pot and cook on medium heat for 5 min to dissolve the sugar and draw out the pandan scent. Add the coconut milk and salt, lower to low heat and heat only until steaming. A hard boil can make coconut milk split. Remove the pandan.

   Add in this stepWater (for the coconut syrup) 150 mlPalm sugar (or light brown sugar) 35 gPandan leaves (fresh or frozen) 2Coconut milk 300 mlSalt 1 pinch

   medium heat→low heat

6. Bring another 20 cm pot two-thirds full of water to a rolling boil on high heat, add the tangyuan and immediately stir gently along the bottom. When it boils again, lower to medium heat and cook for 6 min. They are done when they float, look plump and glossy.

   high heat→medium heat

7. Lift the tangyuan into bowls, pour over the warm pandan coconut milk and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. The filling is very hot, so eat with care.