Tang Yuan - Glutinous Rice Dimplings Filled with Black Sesame Paste In Ginger Sugar Syrup

Black Sesame Tang Yuan

Taken from Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients:

8 oz. glutinous rice (sticky rice) flour
180 ml water (3/4 cup water)
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons)

Ginger Syrup (姜茶):

5 cups water (reduced to 4 cups after boiling)
1 cup sugar
4 oz. old ginger (skin peeled and then lightly pounded with the flat side of a cleaver)
1/2 teaspoon sweet osmanthus (optional)
2 screwpine leaves or pandan leaves (tie them into a knot, optional)

Method:

Lightly toast the black sesame seeds over medium fire until you smell the aroma of the black sesame seeds. Please take note that the sesame seeds will start popping when they are heated, so use your lid to cover. Don’t burn the black sesame seeds; transfer them out and let cool as soon as they smell aromatic.

Use a mini food processor to grind the black sesame seeds until they become fine. Transfer the ground black sesame into a wok, add sugar and butter and stir well to form a thick paste. If they are too dry, add more butter. Dish out and let cool in the fridge. (This will make the filling easier.)

In a big bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour with water until it forms a smooth paste and no longer sticks to your hands. Divide it equally into 16-20 balls (depends how you like the size, the bigger the size, the easier it is to do the filling). Flatten each ball in your palm, and then use a pair of chopsticks to pick up some black sesame paste and lay it in the middle of the flatten ball. Fold the edge to seal the dumpling. Lightly roll it into a ball shape using both palms, very gently and delicately. Set aside.

Prepare the ginger syrup by boiling the water. Add the ginger and screwpine/pandan leaves (optional) into the water and boil for 10-15 minutes with medium heat. Add sugar and sweet osmanthus and boil for another 5 minutes. Lower heat to simmer and reduce to about 4 cups of water. Add more sugar to taste if you like.

Heat up another pot of boiling water. Drop the dumplings into the hot boiling water. As soon as they float to the top, transfer them out and into the ginger syrup. Turn off heat and serve the black sesame dumplings in a bowl immediately.

Craving To Cook & Eat Kibbeh

Craving to cook something Arabian... and the one type of food that i love is finger food or short eats. Kibbeh being one of the things on top of my Arabian finger food list along with Fatayer.

Ingredients

1 cup of cracked wheat (bulgur)
1 pound ground meat (beef or lamb)
1 grated onion
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black pepper
1 teaspoon Allspice or kibbee spices
¼ ice cold water or crushed ice

Filling

½ pound ground meat (beef or lamb)
½ onion, diced
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
½ teaspoon Allspice or kibbee spices
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
oil for frying

Method

- Wash the cracked wheat very well. Let drain and squeeze out the excess water.
- Take the cracked wheat and place it on a tray to dry for about 2 hours.
- Grate the onion, mix it with the cracked wheat and add the meat. Mix them together until well combined.
- Add your seasonings. Salt, pepper, and allspice. Mix once again very well.

TIP : You can mix these ingredients in a food processor so that they become better combined.

Preparation for the filling

- Heat up the oil, then add your diced onion, cook until golden in color.
- Add the meat to the onions and cook until the meat is done.
- Add your salt, pepper and allspice.
- Drain any excess fat from the filling.
- Add the toasted pine nuts.

Making Kibbeh Balls

- Soak your hands in cold water. Take a small piece of dough.
- Push with your index finger into the center of the ball making an indentation or place for the filling to go. The hole should be long in length in order to fill the dough ball.
- Once this is done take a small amount of the filling and place it into the ball.
- Close the ball with your index finger and thumb. Repeat this step with every ball.
- Once all of them are made, you will heat up your frying oil and place each Kibbeh Ball into the hot oil for frying.
- Once they are medium brown in color, take them out of the oil and place on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

Enjoy eating it as it is or dipped into mayonnaise, ketchup, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, sweet chilli sauce, mint chutney, coriander chutney, mango chutney, salsa, yoghurt, tossed up with a fresh salad or just as it is....mmmmm delicious!!!

Kuch Na Kaho ~ 1942 Love Story

kuchh na kaho kuchh bhii na kaho...	Don't say anything; don't say anything at all...
kya kahana hai kya sunna hai	What is there to say, what is there to hear?
mujhko pata hai, tumko pata hai	I know, and you know.
samay ka ye pal tham sa gaya hai	This moment in time has stood still,
aur is pal me.n koii nahii.n hai	And in this moment, there's no one at all
bas ek mai.n huu.n bas ek tum ho	save one: me, and save one: you.
kuchh na kaho kuchh bhii na kaho...	Don't speak; don't say anything at all...
kitne gahare halke shaam ke ra.ng hai.n chhalke	How deeply and softly the colors of evening have spread.
parvat se yuu.n utare baadal jaise aa.nchal Dhalake	The lowering clouds have spread along the mountains like the hems of saris.
kitne gahare halke, shaam ke ra.ng hai.n chhalke	How deeply and softly the colors of evening have spread.
parvat se yuu.n utare baadal jaise aa.nchal Dhalake	The lowering clouds have spread along the mountains like the hems of saris.
aur is pal me.n koii nahii.n hai	And in this moment, there's no one
bas ek mai.n huu.n bas ek tum ho	save you, and save me.
kuchh na kaho kuchh bhii na kaho	Don't speak; don't say anything at all.
sulagii sulagii saa.nse.n bahakii bahakii dhaDakan	Impassioned breaths; unsteady heartbeats;
mahake mahake shaam ke saaye, pighale pighale tan man	the sweetly scented shadows of evening; the yielding of body and soul!
sulagii sulagii saa.nse.n bahakii bahakii dhaDakan	Impassioned breaths; unsteady heartbeats;
mahake mahake shaam ke saaye, pighale pighale tan man	the sweetly scented shadows of evening; the yielding of body and soul!
aur is pal me.n koii nahii.n hai	And in this moment, there's no one
bas ek mai.n huu.n bas ek tum ho	save you, and save me.
kuchh na kaho kuchh bhii na kaho	Don't speak; don't say anything at all.
kya kahana hai kya sunna hai	What is there to say, what is there to hear?
mujhko pata hai, tumko pata hai	I know, and you know.
samay ka ye pal, tham sa gaya hai	This moment in time has stood still,
aur is pal me.n koii nahii.n hai	and in this moment, there's no one
bas ek mai.n huu.n bas ek tum ho	save you and me.

Easy Come, Easy Go

 Easy come, easy go: whether it be money, an object, a feeling or even a person.

Haaton Ma Liye Haat

Mere haaton ma liye tere haat.

Baithi hu is zindagi k lambi raste pe.

Kafi ha kafi ha , is haat k dum se zindagi guzar lena kafi ha.

Bus ye haat chodna mat...

~ J ! N N ! ~    4 December 2011