Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Dumplings in Ginger Broth

• 1/3 cup dried, hulled, and split yellow mung beans
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• Scant 1/2 cup white sugar
• Chubby 2-inch section fresh ginger, peeled, halved lengthwise, and bruised with the side of a knife
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 shallot, chopped (1/4 cup total)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 3/4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) glutinous (sweet) rice flour (any Thai brand such as Erawan)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups Coconut Dessert Sauce (page 221) (optional)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hulled raw (white) sesame seeds, toasted

1. Rinse the mung beans, put them in a bowl, and add water to cover by about 1 inch.
2. Let soak for 2 hours, or up to 6 hours.
3. Meanwhile, make the broth, use a pot at least 8 inches wide so that the dumplings will later sit in one layer.
4. Combine the water, brown and white sugars, and ginger in the pot.
5. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for at least 45 minutes, or until the broth is gingery enough for your liking.
7. It is fine to steep for hours.
8. When you are satisfied, remove the ginger, cover, and set aside.
9. Line a steamer tray with parchment paper.
10. Drain the beans and then transfer them to the steamer tray.
11. Evenly spread out the beans.
12. Steam the beans (see page 17 for guidance) over boiling water for 8 to 15 minutes (the shorter time is for the metal steamer and the longer time is for the bamboo steamer), or until the mung beans are tender.
13. Remove the steamer tray and set aside to cool.
14. Or, transfer the beans to a bowl and occasionally stir them to hasten the cooling.
15. Process the cooled beans in a food processor to a fluffy consistency.
16. It should look like fine cornmeal but hold together when a small amount is pinched between your fingers.
17. You should have about 1 cup.
18. To prepare the filling, combine the oil and shallot in a small saucepan.
19. Heat over medium heat until the shallot sizzles.
20. Continue to fry for 4 to 5 minutes, frequently swirling the pan to evenly cook, until most of the shallot is golden brown.
21. Remove from the heat and stir in the mung beans and salt.
22. If the filling feels stiff, add water by the teaspoon.
23. Aim for a texture like that of dry mashed potatoes: if you press some between your fingers, it should stick together and leave your fingers slightly oily.
24. Let the filling cool for about 5 minutes.
25. To shape the filling, measure out 1 scant, lightly packed tablespoon of filling and use one hand to press it into a 1-inch ball.
26. Gently roll the ball between both hands to smooth the surface.
27. Repeat to make 12 balls.
28. Place the balls on a plate as you work and cover them with plastic wrap when done.
29. Set aside.
30. To prepare the dough, fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
31. Lower the heat and cover to keep hot.
32. Put the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and make a well in the center.
33. Pour in the water and use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients, working from the center to the rim of the bowl.
34. When the dough becomes hard to stir, switch to using one hand to knead it in the bowl.
35. The resulting dough will have a slight sheen and feel soft but somewhat stiff; at this stage it is not fully malleable.
36. If the dough doesnt hold together, it is dry so add water by the 1/2 teaspoon to moisten.
37. If the dough sticks to your hand, work in glutinous rice flour, 1 teaspoon at a time.
38. Now, use the Glutinous Rice Dough: Mother Dough Method instructions (below) to create malleable, elastic dough.
39. Cut the finished dough into 2 pieces.
40. Before making the dumplings, return the water to a boil and have a bowl of water handy.
41. Then, assemble and poach the dumplings in batches.
42. Roll one of the dough pieces into a 6-inch-long log.
43. Cut it into 6 even-size pieces, taking care to make the tapered end pieces a little longer than the others.
44. For each dumpling, use your fingers to gently press on a piece of dough from the center toward the rim to create a 3-inch round that is slightly thinner at the middle than at the rim.
45. (Its like shaping a tiny pizza.)
46. Place the dough in the palm of one hand and use your other hand to center a ball of filling in the dough.
47. Bring up the sides of the dough, then push and pinch the dough together to completely enclose the filling.
48. Pinch and twist off excess dough.
49. Roll the dumpling between your hands to create a smooth ball.
50. Rest it in the palm of your hand, then press down with the base of your thumb to flatten the ball into a fat disk about 1 inch thick and 1 3/4 inches wide.
51. Set on your work surface and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and filling.
52. Once a batch of dumplings is assembled, add it to the boiling water.
53. Gently shake the pan or nudge the dumplings to prevent them from sticking.
54. When a dumpling floats to the surface, after about 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the bowl of cold water to cool and set; the dumplings will lose their fuzzy appearance once they are in the water.
55. While the first batch poaches, assemble the second batch and then repeat the cooking.
56. (With the dough left over from pinching off the excess, you can make 1/4-inch balls and poach those as an unfilled addition, if you like.)
57. Return the broth to a simmer.
58. Remove the dumplings from the water and add to the ginger broth.
59. Let the dumplings sit in the broth for 5 to 7 minutes, turning them midway, to reheat and allow the dumplings to absorb the flavors.
60. Avoid boiling, as that forms little bubbles on the dough surface.
61. Turn off the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes to cool.
62. Serve the dumplings warm in rice bowls with plenty of broth.
63. Top with coconut sauce and finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
64. Eat with a spoon to blend some of the broth with the dumpling in each bite.
65. Sip on extra gingery broth like soup.
66. Refrigerate left overs in the ginger broth and reheat broth and dumplings together over medium-low heat.
67. Doughs made from glutinous (sweet) rice flour are notoriously hard to manage because they can be dry, fall apart, and sag.
68. They do not yield easily to your will.
69. I have tried a number of techniques over the years, including combining flours and using just-boiled water, but this one, which I call the mother dough method, works very well for dumplings that are poached.
70. This method calls for precooking a small portion of dough and then kneading it back into the raw dough to introduce enough elasticity to tame the dough.
71. The instructions below take off from where you have made the dough from combining the rice flour and water.
72. Remember to return the saucepan of water to a boil before proceeding.
73. To make the mother dough, pinch off a bit of the prepared dough, about 3/4 inch in diameter.
74. Roll it into a ball, then flatten it into a 1/4-inch-thick disk.
75. Drop the disk into the boiling water.
76. After the dough rises to the top and floats horizontally, 1 to 2 minutes, let the dough cook for a further 15 seconds.
77. Meanwhile, dust your work surface with 1 tablespoon of glutinous rice flour.
78. Take the raw dough and flatten it into a 4-inch disk, about 3/4 inch thick.
79. When the mother dough is done, use a slotted spoon to lift the dough from the water, giving it a gentle shake to remove excess water.
80. Set the spoon aside for about 15 seconds to slightly cool the dough.
81. Center the small cooked mother dough atop the big raw disk.
82. Fold in the sides of the dough to enclose and start kneading, using the heel of your hand to push the raw and cooked dough together.
83. Add extra glutinous rice flour as needed to prevent sticking; use a dough scraper if the dough is unwieldy.
84. After kneading for about 2 minutes, both doughs should be well combined.
85. What was initially stiff dough should now be supple, malleable, and slightly tacky like Play-Doh.
86. Cut the finished dough into the number of pieces required by the recipe and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
87. The dough may sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
88. If you are assembling the dumplings soon, lower the heat on the boiling water and cover to keep hot.
89. Otherwise, turn off the heat on the water.

beans, water, brown sugar, white sugar, section, canola oil, shallot, salt, rice flour, water, coconut dessert sauce, sesame seeds

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sticky-rice-and-mung-bean-dumplings-in-ginger-broth-379813 (may not work)