Gyeongdan
Glutinous rice balls
경단 · Chewy glutinous rice balls rolled in toasted soybean, sesame and coconut
Gyeongdan (경단) are small balls of boiled glutinous rice dough, filled or plain, and rolled in coloured coatings: golden roasted soybean powder, black sesame, green or toasted coconut. In Seoul they are made for a baby's 100th day and first birthday, and sold in rice-cake shops all year in mixed boxes. They are only lightly sweet, soft and stretchy, best eaten the day they are made with a cup of barley tea. Children love rolling them. Chef's tip: mix the dough with very hot water a spoonful at a time; it should feel like soft play-dough, and if it cracks when you roll a ball it needs a little more.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 7 oz glutinous rice flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup just-boiled wateryou may need a little more or less
- 2 ⅞ oz sweetened red bean paste (optional)rolled into 20 small balls
For the coatings
- 3 tbsp black sesame seedstoasted and coarsely ground
- 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 7 oz glutinous rice flour and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in ¾ cup just-boiled water a few spoonfuls at a time, stirring with a spoon, then knead with your hands once it is cool enough to touch. Knead for 3–4 minutes until smooth, soft and no longer sticky.
5 minStep 2: Roll the dough into about 20 balls the size of a large marble. If using 2 ⅞ oz sweetened red bean paste, flatten each ball, set a ball of paste in the middle, close the dough around it and roll smooth.
Step 3: Spread 3 tbsp roasted soybean powder (konggaru), 3 tbsp black sesame seeds and 3 tbsp desiccated coconut on three separate plates. Stir a third of the 2 tbsp sugar and a little 1 pinch salt into each.
Step 4: Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Drop in the balls and stir once so none stick to the bottom. When they float, keep them bubbling for 1–2 minutes more, until they look slightly translucent at the edges.
6 minStep 5: Scoop them straight into a bowl of cold water for 1 minute; this firms the outside and makes them chewier.
1 minStep 6: Drain well, then roll a third of the balls in each coating until evenly covered. Serve the same day at room temperature. A common mistake is refrigerating them: the dough turns hard within hours, so store leftovers airtight at room temperature and eat by the next morning.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gyeongdan take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 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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