Reinventing Classics
Lunar New Year is approaching, and with each year, the food gets more exciting. There’s the traditional dishes but then there’s also the new, modern takes on classic recipes added into the mix. I love the classics, but I also love seeing the foods I grew up with being reinvented into something new and creative. Tangyuan is a traditional Chinese food made during the new year, symbolizing unity, family, and togetherness. They are boiled rice balls served in a hot, sweet syrup. They have all different kinds of fillings from red bean to salted egg yolk. My favorite kinds were the ones filled with black sesame paste and peanuts. This year, I decided to reinvent my favorite black sesame tangyuan and created these Crispy Tangyuan. They’re coated in breadcrumbs, fried, and rolled in sugar. It’s crispy on the outside and bouncy on the inside!
Sugar Coated
To created the breading, add the flour, egg, and panko each into separate bowls. Roll each tangyuan in the flour until completely coated. Tap off any excess flour. Dip it in the egg until all of the flour has been absorbed. Lift the tangyuan out with a fork and allow any excess liquid to drip off. Roll it in panko breadcrumbs until fully coated. Repeat this process for the remaining tangyuan.
Fill a pot with 2-3 inches of oil. Heat to 325℉. Working in batches, gently add the tangyuan into the oil. Fry for 4-6 minutes until golden brown on the outside and hot on the inside. As they cook, the tangyuan will puff open. Remove the tangyuan from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. While they’re still hot, roll them in granulated sugar until coated all over. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Untraditionally Traditional
I love this take on the traditional tangyuan because it adds so much dimension in the texture. It’s crispy on the outside, but the tangyuan wrapping is soft, bouncy, and chewy like mochi. Then the black sesame paste on the inside melts into a lava-like consistency. Despite the fact that they’re rolled in sugar, these Crispy Tangyuan get the “not to sweet” stamp of approval. The black sesame filling has a bit of sweetness but is balanced by the savory nuttiness of the sesame. The best way to describe these is like a crispy filled mochi donut puff. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty good to me. Try out this untraditional take on a traditional Chinese food and let me know what you think in the comments!
Crispy Tangyuan
Ingredients
- 15 Pieces Frozen Black Sesame Tangyuan
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Large Egg (beaten)
- ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- Neutral Oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Add the flour, egg, and panko each into separate bowls. Roll each tangyuan in the flour until completely coated. Tap off any excess flour. Dip it in the egg until all of the flour has been absorbed. Lift the tangyuan out with a fork and allow any excess liquid to drip off. Roll it in panko breadcrumbs until fully coated. Repeat this process for the remaining tangyuan.
- Fill a pot with 2-3 inches of oil. Heat to 325℉. Working in batches, gently add the tangyuan into the oil. Fry for 4-6 minutes until golden brown on the outside and hot on the inside. As they cook, the tangyuan will puff open.
- Remove the tangyuan from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. While they're still hot, roll them in granulated sugar until coated all over. Serve immediately and enjoy!
