We call these balls tangyuan or yuanxiao, which made of glutinous rice flour and can be either filled or unfilled with sweet, or savoury stuffing. Sweet fillings are basically made of sugar, nuts, seeds, or beans while minced meat and vegetables are often used the savoury filling. As a symbol of family unity and harmony in Chinese culture, tang yuan is traditionally served around Dong Zhi /winter solstice, about the time when families get together for the holidays.

The way to make tangyuan varies between northern and southern China. The usual method followed in the south is to shape the dough first into small portions, fill each with the preferred filling, and then roll into rounds. In North China, the fillings are pressed into rounds, and roll in a bowl of dry glutinous rice flour.

#Dough:	#Filling:
200 g Glutinous rice powderangiesrecipes 50 g Rice powder, short-grainangiesrecipes 210 ml Water, warm 1 tsp Matcha tea powderangiesrecipes 1 tsp Cacao powderangiesrecipes	160 g Instant black sesame powder 50 g Caster sugar 60 g Peanut butter Some water

1. In a bowl, stir the instant sesame powder with the peanut butter and some water to make a thick paste. Combine two kinds of rice flour together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add water gradually and mix until you have a soft dough. Divide dough into 4 equal portions, each about 110 grams.
   
   
2. Add matcha tea powder to one portion and cacao powder to another. Leave two portions uncoloured. Roll each portion out into a long strip to the same length. Place one white strip on the top of the green tea one, and the other atop the cacao strip. Slice each into two.
   
   
3. Stack layers, alternating white, green and cacao colours. Slice the stack into the small even portions, each about 16-18 grams. Lightly flatten each piece and place 8-10 grams of filling in the center. Seal and roll it into the ball.
   
   
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently drop the glutinous rice balls into the pot of boiling water and remove once they float to the top. Tangyuan can be served in either a very simple sugar wateror a bowl of red bean soup.

#Filling:

• 350 g Minced meat
• 1/2 tbsp Maggi sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Dark soya sauce
• 1/2 tsp Chicken bouillon
• 1/3 tsp White pepper powder
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 80 g Water
• 10 g Scallionangiesrecipes
• 10 g Gingerangiesrecipes
• 180 g Cabbage
• 50 g Carrot
• 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil



#Dough:

• 185 g Milk at 40C/104F
• 2 tsp Honey
• 70 g Buckwheat flourangiesrecipes
• 230 g German #550 flour
• 4 g Instant dry yeast
• 80 g Old dough
• 1 g Baking soda

 

1. Thinly slice the cabbages and carrots, sprinkle some salt over and set aside briefly. Use your hand to squeeze out the excess liquid from the vegetables. Set aside. Mix 80 grams of water, 10 grams each of ginger and scallion thoroughly in a blender. Season the minced meat with maggie, dark soya sauce, chicken bouillon, white pepper powder and sugar. Add ginger-scallion mixture into the meat and stir in a clockwise direction until thick and stiff. Add in drained cabbages and carrots, and finally drizzle in the sesame oil. Stir all until thoroughly combined. 
2. In a mixing bowl, place in milk and honey, then add the buckwheat, wheat flour, and yeast. Mix on low speed until a dough forms a ball. Add in old dough and stir until combined. Increase the speed and continue beating until the dough ball becomes smooth. Cover it with plastic film and rest for 20 minutes at warm spot. Shape the dough into a long roll and divide into 35 grams portions. Flatten each portioned dough with the bottom of your palm. Roll the dough out forming a disk of with the edges thinner than the center.
3. Hold a wrapper with some filling in the middle with your left hand, fold the edges of the wrapper together in a pleated fashion with the right hand. Pinch edges together to seal and enclose the filling. Cut out squares of baking paper and place on the buns. Allow them to rest for about 30 minutes. Steam over boiling water for 10-15 minutes on medium-high fire. Turn off the heat and transfer the buns onto the serving plate after one minute.

With a trace of herbs (Chinese angelica is to tonify blood and tangshan root to strengthen Qi), this wholesome beef noodle soup tastes fresh and delightful. Perfect for the cold winter! In China, beef noodle is typically eaten as one and whole meal in a LARGE bowl filled with stewed beef, vegetables and noodles. In the West, this food may be served in a small portion as a soup.

300 g Beef briskets 1 tbsp Oil 3-4 slice Ginger root 1 stalk Scallion 3 clove Garlics 3 Dried chilliesangiesrecipes 1/3 tsp Szechuan peppercornsangiesrecipes 1 tbsp Jiafan rice wine

1/2 tbsp Caramelized sugarangiesrecipes 1/2 tbsp Maggi sauce 2 slice Chinese angelica root / Dang guiangiesrecipes 2 section Radix codonopsi / Dang shenangiesrecipes 3 cup Beef or chicken stock 3/4 tsp Salt Noodles ( spaghetti or egg noodle) Seasonal vegetables and chopped scallion

1. Wash and cut the beef briskets into smaller pieces. Blanch in boiling water and rinse in cold water. Heat up a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add in ginger slices, scallions, garlic cloves, chillies and Szechuan peppercorns. Stir until aromatic. Add in beef briskets, rice wine, caramelized sugar, and maggi sauce. Stir until well combined.
   
   
2. Transfer the beef into a large pot, add in tangshan root and Chinese angelica root. Pour in stock and bring it to a boil on high heat. Turn down the heat to low and simmer the beef until tender, about 30 minutes. Season with the salt.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles in a pot of boiling water until tender. Drain noodles well in a colander and place them in a soup bowl. Add in vegetables and beef briskets. Ladle broth over and sprinkle the chopped scallions on top. Serve hot.

Ants Climbing a Tree /蚂蚁上树 is a classic Szechuan dish in Chinese cuisine. It is so called because the bits of ground meat clinging to the noodles evoke an image of ants walking on twigs. This dish is made from mung bean noodles, also know as Chinese glass vermicelli. These thin noodles become soft and translucent after soaking in water.

#Ingredients :	#Marinade:
120 g Glass vermicelli 5 Dried mushrooms 2 slice Ginger root 1 Small red chilli pepper 3 tbsp Cooking oil 1 tsp Chilli sauce 2 stalk Spring onions 225 g Ground pork	1 tbsp Light soy sauce 2 tsp Granulated sugar 1 tbsp Jiafan rice wine (or sherry ) 1 tsp Sesame oil Pinch of cornstarch

1. 
   Add the marinade ingredients to the ground pork, adding the cornstarch last. Set aside for 15 minutes. Soak the glass vermicelli in hot water until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Soften the dried mushrooms in hot water. Reserve ¼ cup of the soaking liquid Thinly slice the mushrooms. Cut chilli in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and chop coarsely. Mince the ginger and cut the green onion diagonally into inch pieces.
   
2. 
   Heat a frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the heated wok. Stir in the marinated pork until the pork has browned and remove. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Stir in the ginger and chilli until aromatic. Add the dried mushrooms. Stir-fry briefly, then add in the chilli sauce and the vermicelli. Pour in the reserved soaking liquid and return the ground pork to the pan. Add in the spring onions and stir until noodles and sauce are well blended, and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Garnish with some chopped spring onions and serve.

100 g Rice flour, sifted angiesrecipes 80 g White sugar 200 ml Water

1/2 tsp Active dry yeast angiesrecipes 1/2 tbsp Lukewarm water 1/4 tsp Baking powder angiesrecipes

1. Whisk rice flour, water and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Cook over low heat until the mixture has become thick, but still runny. Keep stirring to avoid any lump during cooking. Press the mixture through a sieve and leave to cool.
   
2. Mix the yeast and warm water and add in the cooled rice mixture together with the baking powder. Stir to combine. Let rest for 6 or 8 hours at the room temperature. Grease a 6 inch steamer lined with foil and pour in the rice mixture. Steam over the high heat with boiled water for about 20 minutes.