Gyung Dan – Korean Sweet Rice Balls
This light Korean snack highlights the chewiness and natural sweetness of sweet rice flour. Boiled until floating, sweet rice balls are really easy to prepare and has endless variations. Dry coatings such as sesame seeds, roasted soybean powder, and cinnamon sugar cling readily to its surface. Gyung dan can also be stuffed with sweet fillings such as red bean paste, as demonstrated in this excellent video by Maangchi.
Plain uncoated rice balls are also extensively used in several sweet and savory applications from all over Asia. My preference by way of heritage is a warm bowl of Filipino ginataan, rice balls and fruits cooked in sweetened coconut milk.
Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Valentina of Trembom
recipe adapted from Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall’s Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen
Gyung Dan
Korean Sweet Rice Balls
makes 16 hazelnut-sized rice balls
Don’t let your parole officer see this.
1 cup sweet rice flour (approximately 160 grams / 5.65 ounces)
a pinch of salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water
Coatings:
- Black or white sesame seeds, toasted until fragrant and popping (whole or ground)
- Roasted soybean powder
- Cinnamon sugar
Notes:
- Sweet rice flour is also known as glutinous rice flour or mochiko, its Japanese moniker.
- I prefer to use the smaller amount (1/3 cup) of boiling water to make a sandy and crumbly dough. It will be a bit harder to form the balls but the resulting texture is more to my liking — the outside will be soft and gets progressively chewier towards the center.
Instructions:
Mix the sweet rice flour and salt in a bowl. Add the boiling water one tablespoon at time while stirring vigorously. Depending on the texture desired, adjust the amount of water to create either a crumbly or soft dough (see Notes).
Crumbly sweet rice flour dough.
Divide the dough into 16 portions and shape into hazelnut-sized balls.
Bring at least 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Prepare a large bowl filled with iced water. The iced water will be used to instantly chill the cooked rice balls and stop the cooking.
Drop the sweet rice balls into the boiling water one at a time. Boil over high heat until the balls float to the surface. It will take about 6 to 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to gather the sweet rice balls as they float to the surface and place in the bowl of iced water.
Place the rice balls on paper towels and let dry briefly for a few minutes. Roll in the toppings of your choice and serve.
Black and blue balls of sweet rice flour.
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October 5th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Black and blue balls!?! LOL
The cooking method for these reminds me of palitaw. Gotta try making these soon!
October 5th, 2008 at 3:32 am
Oh, those balls look yummy and very pretty! I love sweet rice!
Cheers,
Rosa
October 5th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Hi
This recipe is really interesting. I don’t think i ll find sweet rice, I only find regular rice flour. Can I use this one ? Do they have to be served immediately? cannot they be stored?
October 5th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Oh I’ve never made anything like this but now I’m so tempted. I must go find this flour
October 5th, 2008 at 9:42 am
My husband loves these but I always thought there was some elaborate process to making them. Looks like they’re finally going to get made…
October 5th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
These look really good. I have to try these!
October 5th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I’ve never had these. They look so interesting and yummy!
October 5th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I have an aunt from Korea, and I have such fond memories of meals at her house. I was introduced to seaweed there! I wonder if I could get her to make these for me…They look great!
October 5th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Aha, coated bilo-bilo. Must be yummy.
You know one of the best bilo-bilos I encountered (besides that in a ginataan) are ones floating in a sweet ground black sesame soup, super yum-mi !
October 5th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Wow, very interesting. I’ve never seen these or tasted them. I bet they taste good though!
October 5th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
wow, this gorgeous. I love how simple it is to prepare. Reminds me a bit of gnocchi. Wonderful!
October 5th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
You’ve done it again! Simply beautiful.
October 5th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
As I read your lovely post my mind started going round and round about different variations to the recipe.I really loved this post.
October 5th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
woah they look so exquisite and cute, I just know they are tasty
October 5th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
These sound so good! I’m a huge fan of kinako and sesame seeds, so I’ll have to try this one out.
October 5th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Those look fabulous. My mom makes different sweet and savory items using sweet rice flour but I’ve never tried. One of my favorite desserts is the fried sesame balls made with sweet rice flour and mung beans. Yay for sweet rice flour!
October 5th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Aw… You’ve made them so perfectly round and cute that I just want to play marbles with them!
October 6th, 2008 at 6:14 am
[...] Gyung Dan – Korean Sweet Rice Balls [...]
October 6th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Those look perfect Jude! I really like the toasted sesame seeds, or maybe just with some simple sugar. They make a perfect party snack
October 6th, 2008 at 10:12 am
This looks like another version of mochi!
October 6th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
oh I love these! I would sometimes eat them actually at a Chinese restuarant in Sydney. They were served with fruit on a little dessert plate. I loved their chewy texture. Great pictures!
October 6th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Never knew what to do with the sweet rice flour that I see at the Asian market before – thanks for the info!
October 6th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
[...] Gyung Dan – Korean Sweet Rice Balls Use a slotted spoon to gather the sweet rice balls as they float to the surface and place in the bowl of iced water. Place the rice balls on paper towels and let dry briefly for a few minutes. Roll in the toppings of your choice and … [...]
October 6th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Hi there! Just came across your blog via Tastespotting. I’m putting these little balls of deliciousness at the top of my to-do list, I can just tell I’m going to love them. Your photography is out of this world as well. I’m just starting out as a blogger and can’t get enough of looking at stunning food photography. Now if I could only master it myself
I’m off to poke around now!
October 7th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
another interesting asian sweet! these look delicious
October 7th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
You’re hysterical Jude – the sweet rice does look like contraband doesn’t it. I wouldn’t in a thousand years have guessed that this was rice – truffles, yes, rice – never.
October 7th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
How interesting! I’ve never tried these but I’m sure they are delicious!
October 13th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Caroline – I don’t get it
Snooky – Gyung dan actually freeze well. I’m not sure if regular rice flour will hold together but it’s worth a try.
Giz – Hopefully my stash doesn’t mistakenly get flushed down the toilet.
February 6th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
I love this recipe! It’s like bilo bilo! It is especially good filled with red bean paste
mmm… masarap!
Thank you!
danielle
January 6th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
[...] sweet rice balls are a filling end to a meal or snack. Angel food cake is famous for being virtually fat free but [...]
February 13th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
I made these for the korean staff at my son’s daycare. Needless to say they were a big hit and they were very proud and happy I attemped one of their traditional foods.
Thankyou very much for showing me how to make a wonderful treat and make international friends
April 14th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Yum! I need to make these at home some day! I have never tasted them before, but I am absolutley POSITIVE that they are delicious!
Thank you so much for posting it!
~Chloe~
September 6th, 2010 at 5:14 am
How interesting! I’ve never tried these but I’m sure they are delicious!
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:13 pm
This recipe works great! Has anyone tried to put a filling in them?
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August 12th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
@TheRonMorales Amen, Brother
September 6th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
I remember making them when I was in high school at a cooking class (I’m from Korea) I am plaining to make some for my collaegues.
My favourite topping is spongecake crumbs (you can make it by using a grater) they are so sweet and soft!
September 15th, 2011 at 10:09 am
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November 27th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
[...] trusty internet came to my rescue and furnished me with a host of recipes for rice balls. I found this recipe that looked nice and quick and cooked up a little batch (based on a half cup of the flour instead [...]
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