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Ye er ba
叶儿粑: soft glutinous rice dumplings filled with black sesame and sugar, steamed in leaves
Ye er ba, "leaf cakes", come from Xinjin on Chengdu's southern edge and are sold all over the city in snack restaurants and teahouses, including the busy tea gardens of People's Park, at breakfast and through the afternoon. Each dumpling is wrapped in a leaf, which keeps it moist and adds a faint green fragrance as it steams; the skin is soft and stretchy, the filling a sweet, nutty black sesame paste. Traditional fillings use lard; this version uses coconut oil and is vegan. It contains sesame. Chef's tip: keep the dough as soft as an earlobe; dry dough cracks and the filling leaks out.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 2 ⅛ oz black sesame seedstoasted
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
- 1 oz coconut oilsoftened
For the dough
- 7 oz glutinous rice flour
- 1 ¾ oz rice flour
- ¾ cup warm wateradd gradually
For wrapping
- 12 banana leavespieces about 10 cm square
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Grind 2 ⅛ oz black sesame seeds finely in a spice grinder or mortar. Mix with 1 ¾ oz sugar and 1 oz coconut oil, chill for 10 minutes until firm, then roll into 12 small balls.
15 minStep 2: Mix 7 oz glutinous rice flour and 1 ¾ oz rice flour, then knead in ¾ cup warm water a little at a time until the dough is soft, smooth and does not crack at the edges when pressed. Common mistake: making it too dry.
5 minStep 3: Wipe 12 banana leaves, pass them briefly over a flame or dip in boiling water to soften, and brush with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
5 minStep 4: Divide the dough into 12. Flatten each piece into a cup, put a sesame ball inside, pinch closed and roll into a smooth oval. Set each on a leaf and fold the leaf loosely around it.
15 minStep 5: Steam over rapidly boiling water for 15 minutes, until the dough looks glossy and translucent and the filling has melted. Leave for 2 minutes before unwrapping, as the filling is very hot.
17 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ye er ba take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of black sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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