"Egg filled rice balls" or something like that

[Madejyathink]

I was at a chinese buffet the other day, and they had these wonderful little dumpling-looking things that were a rice cake ball filled with some sort of custard like stuff. The waiter just said they were "egg filled rice balls," but now I can't find any kind of recipe or anything under that name. I'm hoping someone can tell me the actual name and possibly a recipe for what these wonderful little things are.

[Mullen]

Onigiri. It's a Japanese rice ball that can be filled with various things.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onigiri

Step-by-Step instructions: http://www.justhungry.com/2007/01/onigiri_omusubi_revisited_an_e.html

[Madejyathink]

Onigiri. It's a Japanese rice ball that can be filled with various things.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onigiri


As much as I love those too, it isn't what I'm talking about. This was like a chewy little steamed cake made with rice flour that had custard in the middle of it. It's white and perfectly smooth on the outside. Usually when I see them they have what I think is red bean paste, but I've seen other kinds of fillings too. This egg custard stuff was just my favourite.

[Mullen]

Mochi?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mochi_(food)

[Madejyathink]

Mochi?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mochi_(food)

That looks more like it, specifically daifuku, other than these were steamed and they weren't covered in extra flour. Now if I could only find that egg-filling stuff. This is a start though, thanks.

[ObsidianZ]

Chinese =/= japanese :mad:

Were they flat little pancake-like things? Or actual round balls?

The flat ones are called siu-beng in Cantonese, and they're usually filled with red bean paste or yellow custard. The outside is a chewy soft rice dough, and they're lightly pan-fried on both sides.

I've tried google-image searching different things but nothing comes up.

I don't know what they would be called in english though. A direct translation usually doesn't work.

I think this might be a recipe: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/desserts/r/redbeanpancakes.htm


*ObZ

[Mantikore]

im assuming it was sweet.

anyway, chinese cuisine has a lot of foods that involve a rice flour pastry that is steamed or boiled. tapioca is also used for pastries that are very chewy (you cant really get the chewy consistency with rice)

as for the custardy thing. it was probably custard :)

[Madejyathink]

Chinese =/= japanese :mad:
Yes, I know, but this was at some little generic chinese buffet, and they screw that up too.

Were they flat little pancake-like things? Or actual round balls?

The flat ones are called siu-beng in Cantonese, and they're usually filled with red bean paste or yellow custard. The outside is a chewy soft rice dough, and they're lightly pan-fried on both sides.

I've tried google-image searching different things but nothing comes up.

I don't know what they would be called in english though. A direct translation usually doesn't work.

I think this might be a recipe: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/desserts/r/redbeanpancakes.htm


*ObZ
They were almost perfect spheres, and very smooth. Those sound good too though, thanks.

im assuming it was sweet.

anyway, chinese cuisine has a lot of foods that involve a rice flour pastry that is steamed or boiled. tapioca is also used for pastries that are very chewy (you cant really get the chewy consistency with rice)

as for the custardy thing. it was probably custard :)
Hm, yeah, forgot about tapioca. I'll have to look into that more. And, heh, yeah, I figured it was custard, but it had more of a mealy texture to it than smooth, and either way I'd still like to find a recipe.