Gyeongdan

경단

(Rice Cake Balls)

Gyeongdan is a type of Korean rice cake shaped into a ball. It can be coated with various powders such as sesame seeds, adzuki beans, chestnuts, etc. It is typically eaten as a snack or dessert; it may also be served with Korean tea or other traditional drinks. More than that, a specific variation of rice cake balls, chalsusu gyeongdan, is commonly served on special occasions like a baby’s 100th day or even 1st birthday; they make the balls with sorghum powder and eat them coated with red bean powder because the red color is believed to chase evil spirits away.

MAIN INGREDIENTs

• 4 cups glutinous rice powder
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

FILLINGs AND SWEET POWDERs FOR COATING

• 1/2 cup red bean paste
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 cup coconut powder
• 1/4 cup black sesame powder
• 1/4 cup sponge cake crumbs
• 1/4 cup green sponge cake crumbs
• 1/4 cup pink sponge cake crumbs

HOW TO Prepare

1. In a bowl, mix glutinous rice powder with sugar.
2. Add hot boiling water little by little with a spoon while mixing.
3. Knead the dough by hand until soft.
4. Mold red bean paste into small balls, about 1/4-inch in diameter each, to make fillings for the rice cake balls. Set aside.
5. Divide the dough into pieces, about 1-inch in diameter each.
6. Roll each piece of dough into a ball with your hands and make a hole at the center of it with your thumb.
7. Put the red bean paste and pine nut into the hole, then close it tightly, rolling the ball round again with your palms.
8. Coat the rice cake balls with cornstarch and put them on a plate.

HOW TO COOK

1. Put the rice cake balls in boiling water. They float when they are cooked; it usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Put the rice cake balls in cold water, then drain them.
3. Coat the rice cake balls with the different-colored crumbs and powders.

chef’s notes

1. The time it takes for a rice cake ball to float depends on its size.
2. Glutinous rice powder is made of wet glutinous rice. If you are using dried rice powder instead, just mix it with more water.
3. You may use white bean paste and ube paste as fillings.

 

This Dish Appears in the Following Korean Drama/s:

• Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter (2018) - TVN
• Jewel in The Palace (2003-2004) - MBC

   

 

CHEF REGGIE’S TIPS

VARIATION

• Chef Reggie’s Twist to Filipinize Gyeongdan: I love rice cake balls! I love kakanin for that matter and the way it chews! To Filipinize this recipe, I would add 1/2 cup mashed ube (boiled and mashed fresh ube, if ube is nice, though nice ube is so hard to come by these days) and knead it into glutenous rice flour. Otherwise, use ube powder; dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons ube powder in hot water and add it to rice flour, then knead. Stuff the center of the ube balls with minatamis na langka (sweetened jackfruit). From here, follow Lily’s cooking procedure, then roll the ube balls in freshly grated coconut.
• Palitaw Balls: Another variation is palitaw balls. Use Lily’s basic recipe but make and round the rice cake balls without any filling. Follow Lily’s instructions after cooking and putting in cold water. Roll balls in coconut, sesame, and sugar mixture: 1 cup freshly grated coconut (make sure they grate only the meat, not scraping the shell so the coconut meat stays white and pristine), 1/4 cup black sesame seeds and 1/4 cup white sesame seeds (toasted in a dry pan and then slightly pounded), and 1/2 to 3/4 cup white sugar (which you can adjust according to your preferred sweetness).