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Xin tai ruan (心太软, jujubes stuffed with sticky rice in osmanthus syrup)
Sticky rice-stuffed red dates
Red dates stuffed with glutinous rice dough, steamed and glazed with osmanthus syrup
Xin tai ruan, 'the heart is too soft', is a small sweet plate found in restaurants all over Jiangsu and Zhejiang, often served as a starter or between courses at banquets, and it is especially popular in the cold months when jujubes are said to warm the body. Dried red dates are pitted, stuffed with a little glutinous rice dough, steamed and then glossed with syrup scented with sugared osmanthus flowers. Each bite is chewy, then soft, with the deep caramel taste of the dates and a floral finish. Serve warm or at room temperature with tea. It is naturally egg-free: glutinous rice flour and water make a dough that turns sticky and elastic when steamed, filling the dates and holding them closed. Chef's tip: the common mistake is cutting through the whole date when pitting; slit only one side so it stays in one piece and wraps the dough.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅞ oz glutinous rice flour
- ¼ cup warm waterabout
For the syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 ¾ oz rock sugar
- 1 tbsp sugared osmanthus syrupalcohol-free
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 24 large dried red jujubes and soak in warm water for 20 minutes until plump.
20 minStep 2: Slit each date along one side and pull out the stone, keeping the date in one piece.
Step 3: Mix 2 ⅞ oz glutinous rice flour with ¼ cup warm water and knead into a smooth, soft dough that does not stick to your hands.
Step 4: Roll small olive-sized pieces of dough and press one into each date, leaving a little white strip showing.
Step 5: Steam over boiling water for 12 minutes, until the dough turns slightly translucent.
12 minStep 6: Meanwhile simmer ½ cup water with 1 ¾ oz rock sugar over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in 1 tbsp sugared osmanthus syrup.
7 minStep 7: Arrange the dates on a plate and spoon the warm syrup over. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does xin tai ruan (心太软, jujubes stuffed with sticky rice in osmanthus syrup) take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 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 rock sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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