Glutinous Rice Balls with Red Bean Paste

Whenever mom or dad goes to the chinese bakery for some bread, they would also pick up a few glutinous rice balls -- the "no mai chee". Just thinking about the chewy texture when you bite into it and the peanut and sugar filling falling off he sides of your mouth. And don't forget the coconut flakes. Makes my mouth water...oops.

As I searched through the internet, I found a recipe that used red bean paste instead of the peanut/sugar filling. I know Dickens enjoys the red bean dessert (hung dao sa), so, I decided to give a try.

Glutinous Rice Balls with Red Bean Paste Centre

Rice ball layer

• 1 1/4 cup of glutinous rice flour
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of milk (or coconut milk -- this would probably make it taste better)
• shredded sweetened coconut for rolling rice ball

Red Bean Paste

• 1/2 red beans (washed and soaked for 3 hours)
• 1 1/2 cup of water
• rock sugar to taste -- you should taste for your preferred sweetness

Method
To make the rice ball layer, mix well rice flour, sugar and milk. You will make a wet paste like dough. Using a flat plate (makes the steaming time shorter), brush some vegetable oil unto the plate to prevent the dough from sticking when it is done. Pour batter into the plate. And steam for about 30 minutes. To check if it done, use chopsticks and poke the dough, if the dough does not stick to the chopstick then it has fully cooked thru. Test a few areas to make sure.

Set aside and let cool before using.

Red Bean paste
Boil the red beans until soft and grainy/sand like in the water. This means that the red bean has broken up and the bean has incorporated much into the water. Then add the rock sugar. Boil until the sugar has dissolved completely and let cool. Water should have reduced enough to form a thick porridge consistency. Cooking time should about 1 hour. But only use as a rough guideline. Time can vary depending if you soaked the beans. I didn't so, the cooking time was 1.5 hours to soften and for beans to break.

Set aside and let cool before using.

Rice dough preparation
Roll the dough into a long roll then rip into 12 equal pieces. Then roll one into your hand into a ball then using your thumb to start making a round disk by pinching the middle and working your way outwards. Dough should resemble a flat circle. Place the red bean past in the centre and then fold the sides up to enclose the filling. Final shape should be a ball. Roll the ball into the coconut flakes and then place in paper muffin cups.

For a new twist to this chinese dessert, use cookie cutter shapes. After the ball has rolled in the coconut flakes, press the ball into the cookie cutter (I like the heart) and you get heart shape glutinous rice dessert.

Guarantee to sweet anyone's heart.