Glutinous Rice Balls with Sesame Paste

Known as tang yuan in Sichuan, Hubei and other parts of China, these light rice balls are integral to the Lunar New Year festival. In rural Sichuan and Hubei, they are still made in a time-honoured way, which involves soaking glutinous rice for several days and then grinding it in a granite grinder. Water is then squeezed out through layers of muslin or cheesecloth until a wet dough is left. These days, glutinous rice flour is a labour-saving option.