椰奶玉米水晶汤圆 Crystal Rice Balls in Coconut Cream of Corn

Wishing all readers a Happy Winter Solstice Festival !!!

冬至快乐 !!

Something different from the usual glutinous rice balls I've made. These rice balls skin are translucent and you can see the fillings showing through!! I must admit that the dough using tapioca starch is not easy to work with unlike glutinous rice flour. ^0^''''' The texture is also more chewy compare to glutinous rice balls. Serve this with creamy cream of corn coconut milk is a perfect match! 

Crystal Rice Balls 

Fillings 

(A) Sesame Paste (approx. 25pcs)

• 100gm black sesame seeds
• 100gm fine sugar
• 50gm salted cold butter

Method

1. In a clean dry pan, toasted the sesame seeds over medium low heat till fragrant.
2. Transfer the warm seeds into a food processor and blend until coarse grain. Add in sugar and continue to blend till powder form.
3. Add in butter and process into a paste.
4. Divide the black sesame paste into 25 equal portions. Roll into balls and place onto a lined tray. Chill or freeze till firm until use.

(B) Purple Chinese Yam Paste (approx. 15pcs)

• 250gm steamed purple yam
• 50gm fine sugar

Method

1. Peel and cube Chinese purple yam. Steam for 30mins till soften. 
2. Measure 250gm steamed yam cube and mash it while its till hot. Add in sugar and mix till smooth. Rest the paste for 15 mins to allow the excess moisture to evaporate. 
3. Shape the paste into 20gm balls and place on a lined tray. Chill or freeze till firm until use.

Dough

• 200gm tapioca starch
• 200gm hot boiling water

Method

1. Place tapioca starch into a mixing bowl. Add in hot water gradually and mixing at the same time till a rough dough is formed.
2. Knead the hot dough till smooth. Cover the bowl with damp cloth and rest the dough for 20mins.
3. Divide the dough into portion :  8gm for small rice balls or 15gm for medium. I've uses a ratio for dough to filling 3 : 4.
4. Flatten the dough and wrapped into a portion of filling. Seal tightly and place on a lined tray. Cover the tray with cloth to prevent dying out the rice balls while continue with the wrapping of the balance dough and fillings.
5. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in rice balls, bring back to boil over medium heat. Add in a cup of cold water and continue to boil till the rice balls float to the serve. 
6. Remove the crystal rice balls and submerge in another pot of cool water. Serve with cream of corn coconut milk.

Cream of Corn Coconut Milk 

Ingredient

• 50gm sago pearls
• 1 litre boiling water
• 120gm rock sugar
• 3 pandan leaves, knotted
• 1 can cream of corn
• 1 cup sweet corn kernels
• 375ml organic light coconut milk
• 1/8 tsp of salt

Method

1. Soak sago pearls for 10mins and drain away water. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in sago pearls, cook over medium heat for about 10mins until the pearls turn translucent. Drain through a sieve and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. Boil water with rock sugar until sugar is well dissolved. Add pandan leaves and simmer for 10mins. Pour in cream of corn and corn kernels. Bring to boil. Add in coconut milk, salt and bring to a simmer. Discard pandan leaves.
3. Add sago pearls and stir to mix well. Serve warm with crystal rice balls or chill in fridge before serving.