Glutinous rice balls or sticky rice balls are one of my favourite asian desserts.
The name pretty much explains it all, I love the sticky glutinous coating that some people might be put off by. The glutinous rice balls don’t have much or any flavor. It works as a textural element and is accompanied by many various toppings, fillings or ginger syrup. I would say these are the asian mans Macaron but more sticky.
Black Sesame
+ 2 cup black sesame, lightly toasted
+ 1 cup caster sugar
+ 1/2 stick of unsalted butter

Red Bean Paste
+ 2 cups of azuki red beans, soaked overnight sold at asian groceries
+ 6 cups of water to completely cover
+ 1 cup of sugar
+ 2 tablespoons of peanut oil

Peanut Butter
+ 60gm of crunchy peanut butter
+ 5 tablespoons of icing sugar to taste
+ 30gm roasted white sesame seeds, for rolling

Basic Ginger Syrup
+ 1 piece of ginger, skinned and sliced to taste
+ 150gm Rock Sugar or Brown Sugar
+ 4 cups of water

Ginger Syrup
+ 3 strips of orange rind
+ 2 Pandan leaves, tied up

Glutinous Rice Balls
+  400gm Glutinous Rice flour sold at Asian groceries
+ 1 cup of water or  coconut milk * please note that this may be less or more depending on texture of dough

Toppings
+ Roasted Black sesame
+ Roasted White Sesame
+ Roasted crushed peanuts
+ Coconut

Black Sesame
1. Roast black sesame seeds on low heat, be careful as they get hot they will pop.
2. Ground or blend black sesame seeds into a paste
3. Place paste, sugar and butter in pot and cook for 10 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.
4. When mixture has cooled, place in fridge until firm (this will make it easier to mold).

Red Bean
1. Rinse and soak the red beans overnight. Place red beans and water in a heavy based pot, cook until tender over medium heat.
2. Drain and place red beans back into heavy based pot, cook with sugar and peanut oil for around 15 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Mash or blend to form a paste.
4. Pass through a fine sieve for an extra smooth paste. 

Peanut Butter
1. Mix together peanut butter and icing sugar, until icing sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Roll peanut butter into balls then in toasted white sesame seeds.

Ginger Syrup
1. Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Please note that the syrup shouldn’t be thick consistency but remains quite watery.

Assembling & Cooking
1. Slowly add water or coconut milk to the glutinous rice flour, mix with your hands, it should quickly form a glossy dough.
2. Roll the dough into desired balls, with your finger push a fairly large indent in the middle (make sure you do not break a whole onto the other side).
3. Place some of your filling inside and enclose it with dough, the end result should be a white ball.
4. When ready place the balls in boiling water and cook when the Glutinous rice balls float to the top they are ready.

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