RED DATES, LONGAN TANG YUAN SWEET SOUP

After the Chinese New Year, there were lots of red dates, dried longans and various kinds of flour leftover in my MIL’s kitchen.

When I went back for Pai Thnee Kong [Jade Emperor's Birthday] at her place, she gave me all these items saying that she has lots of these and would not be using them for a while.

Afraid that these items may turn bad if not kept in the fridge, I brought them home and cooked this dessert instead of Bubur Cha Cha on Chap Goh Meh. This can be considered an auspicious dessert for Chap Goh Meh, too.

So if you do have much of these items lying around in your kitchen cabinet, then cooking this dessert will help to clear them off.
Ingredients
200 gm glutinous rice flour
200 ml water
¼ tsp pink colouring
100 gm big pearl sago
Hot boiling water
Sugar Syrup [Boil Together]
4 cups water
200 gm sugar
3-4 pandan leaves - knotted
50 gm red dates
50 gm dried longans

1. To prepare the Sago - Soak pearl sago in hot boiling water for several hours or best overnight. Drain and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil, add in soaked sago to cook until transparent. Stir occasionally. The cooked sago pearls will float up to the surface [about 30 minutes]. Drain in a colander.  Set aside.
3. To prepare the Sugar Syrup - Boil water, sugar and pandan leaves together until sugar dissolves and water is fragrant.
4. Add in the red dates and continue to boil for about 15 minutes. Add in the dried longans, boil for a further 10 minutes. Off heat, set aside.
5. To prepare the Tang Yuan – Place glutinous rice flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and gradually add in the water with pink colouring. Mix into a soft and pliable dough and it should not stick to your palm.
6. Bring a pot of water to boil. Shape the dough into small balls. Drop them into the water to cook. When the small balls float up, they are cooked. 
7. Scoop them with a slotted spoon into a bowl of cold boiled water to cool. Finish cooking all the small balls.
8. Scoop them into the sugar syrup. Add in the pearl sago.
9. Serve dessert warm or cold.
    
   

I'm submitting this post to the Best Recipes for Everyone May 2015 Event (Theme: My Favourite Desserts) organized by Fion of Xuanhom's Mom and co-hosted by Aunty Young