Tang Yuan - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 cups glutinous-rice flour
4 cups brown sugar
12 cups water

Preparation

Mix the rice flour and about 2 cups of water together in a bowl. Use enough water to make a thick dough, about the consistency of play dough. To be sure that the dough isn't too runny, add one cup of water to the rice flour and mix. Slowly add the second cup, stopping when the dough reaches the right consistency. You may not need the entire cup of water.Knead the dough for about five minutes.
. Divide the dough into three lumps. Add a few drops of food coloring to each lump. One lump will be green, etc.Work the food coloring completely into the dough.
. In a large kettle, heat the other 10 cups of water with the brown sugar. Keep stirring so that the sugar doesn't burn. The sugar should completely melt.
. Roll the dough into marble-sized rice flour balls.
. Carefully drop them into the sugar water syrup. Avoid splashing or spilling the syrup.
. Cook the rice balls until they float to the surface of the syrup.
. Serve the rice balls in the syrup. They are good either hot or cold.