Sticky-rice pearl meatballs

Your ingredients

Get ready: Mixing bowl, steamer and food thermometer.

• 🍚100 g glutinous rice
• 🥩250 g pork mince
• 🥣¼ tsp salt
• 🥬¼ tsp white pepper
• 🍚1 tbsp cornflour
• 🥣1 tsp light soy sauce
• 🥜½ tsp sesame oil
• 🥚1 egg white
• 🥣1 tsp minced ginger
• 🥬1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 🥜70 g drained water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 🥕Carrot slices or Chinese-leaf cabbage for the steamer

Let’s make it

1. Soak the rice

   Rinse sticky rice and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 2 hours, keeping it in the fridge, then drain well.

2. Mix a sticky filling

   Stir pork with salt, pepper, cornflour, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg white, ginger and spring onion until sticky. Fold in water chestnuts. Keep cold until shaping.

3. Roll the pearls

   With lightly damp hands, shape about 15 small balls, each around 4 cm wide. Roll each in drained rice, pressing gently so the grains stick. Arrange with gaps on carrot slices or cabbage in a steamer.

4. Steam and check

   Steam over steadily boiling water for about 15–20 minutes. Check a meatball centre reaches 75°C for 30 seconds and the rice is tender; larger balls need longer. Lift the lid away from your face. Those separate shining grains are your reward for the soaking step.