Winter Solstice Festival / DongZhi Festival

The Winter Solstice Festival or DongZhi Festival is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the DongZhi solar term on or around December 21st when sunshine is weakest and daylight shotest.
Traditionally, the DongZhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers is making and eating Tang Yuan or balls of glutinous rice which symbolize reunion.
Same as before, I always prepared some Tang Yuan for breakfast or supper on that festive day serve with ginger soup and peanuts for dipping. But this year there'll be some changes on preparing the Tang Yuan. Anyway the peanuts for dipping is a must..;p

I've prepared some plain white and also some red ones with beetroot juice. That was the special one..:) I admit that the colour was not as bright red as those using colouring, but its acceptable.
There are 2 types of soups I prepared for the serving, one with sweet ginger tea and another with soybean milk. About the Tang Yuan, there are 2 types too...one with black sesame seeds filling and the other is plain.

Recipe for plain Tang Yuan:

250ml water (not neccessary to use all)

150g sugar

500g glutinous flour

Recipe for Black Sesame fillings:

Some Black sesame powder (can get from any organic shop)

Some sugar to taste

1 or 2 tsps water (purpose is to make the sesame powder into small balls for easy wrapping)

~ Mix all all dough ingredients together to form into a dough. Knead for about 5 minutes and warp with cling film. Keep in fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.

~ Take a small portion of the plain dough and wrap in the sesame filling. Seal tight and bring to boil in a hot pot of water. It is cook when the balls float.

** I didn't make the soy milk myself, but added few pandan leaves and sugar and bring the milk to boil before serving.

Recipe for the Beetroot Tang Yuan:

** Same as the plain ones, but change the 250ml of water into 250ml beetroot juice.

** Cut the beetroot into small cubes and bring to boil with water. Use only the water.

These are serve with sweet ginger tea soup and some toasted grind peanuts.

Ingredients for the Sweet Ginger Tea:

1 tbsp good quality chinese tea leaves

250ml water

2 large pieces of old ginger (pounded)

few pandan leaves

800ml water

some rock sugar or honeycomb rock sugar

~ Boil the tea leaves with 250ml water, drain and keep the water.

~ Add in all ingredients except sugar, bring to boil. Then simmer for 20 minutes.

~ Add in sugar to taste.

What do you think with these kind of servings? I like both especially the the soybean milk..:)

~Happy DongZhi Festival~