​The New Year is here again! Wishing everyone eternal youth and beauty.

Here's a recipe for Rainbow Tangyuan for the New Year.

Traditional Tangyuan are too high in calories, what to do?

As a New Year delicacy, Tangyuan are high in calories. Studies show that 4 Tangyuan are equivalent to 1 bowl of rice, so eating too many can lead to weight gain.

Want to eat Tangyuan but don't want to gain weight?

There's a way! Let's make special filling-free Tangyuan together. The steps are simple, and they're delicious and low in calories.

Special Thai Low-Calorie Tangyuan

This is a classic Tangyuan from Thailand.

These colorful Tangyuan, served in a bowl with fresh sweet Thai coconut milk and nourishing bird's nest, are perfect in terms of appearance, nutrition, color, aroma, and taste.

They have only 1/10 the calories of traditional Tangyuan.

Named "Rainbow Tangyuan," they symbolize wishes for everyone to be vibrant, have great fortune, and live a life as colorful as a rainbow.

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Rainbow Tangyuan

Glutinous rice flour, appropriate amount

Pandan leaves, 10-12 pieces

Butterfly pea flowers, appropriate amount

Sweet potato, 1

Thai coconut milk, 1.5 cups

Coconut sugar, appropriate amount

Salt, a pinch

Food Coloring

Green

The green comes from pandan leaf juice. Extract juice from about 10 pandan leaves, filter out the residue, and it's ready. Pandan leaves have a unique aroma and are a common ingredient in Southeast Asia. They are also known as the most natural green food coloring and are effective in lowering uric acid and treating gout.

Blue

The blue comes from butterfly pea flower juice. Place an appropriate amount of butterfly pea flowers in boiling water and boil to release the color. Butterfly pea flowers are commonly used in Southeast Asia for desserts and are the most common blue food coloring in the region. They are effective in lowering blood pressure and preventing eye diseases.

Orange

The orange comes from sweet potato balls. Steam and mash sweet potatoes, then mix with glutinous rice flour, roll into balls, and boil. Eating sweet potatoes can help with bowel movements, strengthen the stomach, and boost vitality.

Tangyuan

Mix 3 spoons of glutinous rice flour with an appropriate amount of pandan leaf juice and knead into a dough. Gradually add pandan leaf juice to ensure the dough is not too wet. The method for blue dough is the same as for green dough.

Mix the mashed sweet potato with an appropriate amount of glutinous rice flour and knead into a dough. If it's too dry, gradually add warm water and knead. Roll the dough into small Tangyuan balls, and coat each ball with glutinous rice flour. Then, drop the Tangyuan into boiling water and cook for 3 minutes until they float, then place them in cold water and set aside.

Thai Coconut Milk

In a cooking pot, add 1000 ml of water, 1.5 cups of Thai coconut milk, 1 pandan leaf, an appropriate amount of coconut sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Once the coconut milk boils and the coconut sugar is completely dissolved, remove the pandan leaf.

Pour coconut milk over the Tangyuan and serve with Bird's Nest.

Bird's Nest is precious and nourishing, adding a touch of elegance and festive cheer to the Tangyuan.

Insider Tips from Lo Hong Ka

When kneading the Tangyuan dough, if it's too dry, gradually add water and knead.

Thai coconut milk, coconut sugar, pandan leaves, and butterfly pea flowers can be found at major Southeast Asian grocery stores (e.g., Indonesian grocery stores).

Butterfly pea flowers change color depending on the water quality: they turn blue in alkaline conditions and purple in acidic conditions.

Learn more about Bird's Nest