Tang Yuan With Purple Sweet Potato Filling

I have always been wanting to try making Tang Yuan with fillings of sweet potatoes.  I came across a recipe 'Crystal Tang Yuan With Purple Sweet Potato Filling' from 'What to cook today,' so decided to use their filling recipe for my Tang Yuan.  The outcome is so yummy... and have been making it quite often since then.  I would like to share the recipe with all my readers.

(A) Ingredients for purple sweet potato filling:

220 g. purple sweet potato

10 g. condensed milk

10 g. unsalted butter

Methods:

1. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1/2" pieces.
2. Steam in a steamer until soft.
3. Immediately, remove the sweet potatoes into a bowl.  Add butter and condensed milk.  Mash with a masher, while the potato is still hot.  Change to a rubber spatula to keep stirring until you get a smooth paste.
4. Cover with a cling wrap to prevent from drying.  Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
5. Lightly oil your palms and roll the mashed sweet potatoes into round balls and place them on a baking sheet.  Put in the freezer to let it harden.

Frozen sweet potato filling

(B)  Ingredients for the Tang Yuan dough:

As I've mentioned in my previous blog on making Tang Yuan dough, I never use any specific measurement.  I just add Glutinous Rice Flour into a bowl.  Amount depending on how much you are making at a particular time.  Then add room temperature water, little by little, and mix (I usually use my clean hand) until a dough is form.

Continue to knead until smooth.  If you prefer softer tang yuan,  add a bit more water or like wise.  I prefer my tang yuan chewy.

(C)  Wrap the purple sweet potato filling with the tang yuan dough:

Pinch a portion of the tang yuan dough, form into a ball, flatten it with your palm and fingers, then take a purple sweet potato filling and place it in the middle of the dough, fold the edges in, pinch to seal and roll into a big ball.  Repeat until all is done.  

(D)  Cooking the tang yuan:

1. Fill a medium/small pot with enough water, no need to be full.  Bring it to a boil.  This is for boiling the tang yuan.
2. For the sugar water, fill another medium/small pot with enough water and bring it to boil.  Add in 2 pieces of pandan leaves, tied into a knot.  Let the water boil until the pandan leaves releases its fragrant aroma.  Add in granulated sugar/rock sugar/brown sugar/raw cane sugar; stir to let the sugar melt; taste for the sweetness of your preference.  Switch the heat to low.
3. When the water in  (1) has come to a boil, add in the tang yuan.  Stir gently with a spatula to ensure that the tang yuan is not sticking onto the bottom of the pot.  Let it boil until all the tang yuan floats to the surface of the water.  Switch off heat, use a slotted spatula to scoop the tang yuan and immediately place it into the sugar water; switch heat to medium and let it boil for a quick minute.  Switch off heat.
4. Remove the pandan leaves and scoop the tang yuan into individual bowls, serve warm, in room temperature or cold (place into the fridge).

Notes:

1. Any leftover purple sweet potato balls can be place in airtight container and keep in the freezer.  When you decide to make tang yuan out of it;  take it out from the freezer and leave it in the fridge, make the tang yuan dough, wrap with the dough, cook and enjoy. 
2. Each time I make use of the purple sweet potato balls, I will cook it in a different combination as per picture below.... It's such fun!! 
3. For infor, the pink color tang yuan is made by adding a drop or 2 of the pink  food coloring/paste.  Whereas, I use the pandan paste for the green color tang yuan.

Hope you all enjoy this Tang Yuan post, which have been long overdue.  Happy cooking dear friends and readers ~ CHEERS ~