Kitchen Recipe Collection
Pearl Meatballs (Nuomi Wanzi)
A beautiful, festive dim sum and dinner dish from Hubei. Savory pork meatballs rolled in glutinous rice and steamed until the rice puffs up and becomes translucent, resembling glowing pearls.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 500g ground pork (with some fat)
- 1 cup glutinous rice (sticky rice), soaked in water overnight
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts, finely minced
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Goji berries or peas (for garnish)
Equipment
- Bamboo steamer
- Parchment paper or cabbage leaves
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Rice
Drain the soaked glutinous rice completely and spread it out on a large, flat plate.
- 2
Mix Meat
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, minced water chestnuts, minced shiitake mushrooms, egg, ginger, soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, salt, and cornstarch.
- 3
Whip Meat
Stir the meat mixture vigorously in ONE direction with chopsticks or your hand for 3-5 minutes until it becomes a sticky, cohesive paste.
- 4
Form Meatballs
Wet your hands slightly. Roll the meat mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs.
- 5
Roll in Rice
Roll each meatball in the soaked glutinous rice on the plate. Press gently so the rice completely coats the outside of the meatball.
- 6
Garnish
Press one small red goji berry or one green pea firmly into the top center of each meatball for color.
- 7
Prepare Steamer
Line a bamboo steamer with perforated parchment paper, lotus leaves, or Napa cabbage leaves.
- 8
Arrange Meatballs
Place the rice-coated meatballs in the steamer, leaving an inch of space between them as the rice will expand.
- 9
Boil Water
Bring water to a rolling boil in the steaming pot or wok.
- 10
Steam
Place the steamer over the boiling water. Cover and steam over high heat for 20-25 minutes.
- 11
Check Rice
The dish is done when the rice on the outside is translucent, completely soft, and sticks up like little spikes.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately directly in the bamboo steamer. They are excellent with a light soy and black vinegar dipping sauce.
Cooking Tips
- You MUST soak the glutinous rice for at least 8 hours (or overnight). If you don't, the rice will remain hard and crunchy even after 30 minutes of steaming.
- Water chestnuts provide a crucial crisp texture inside the soft meatball.
Variations
- Beef Pearls: You can substitute ground beef, but ensure you add a little oil to the mixture since beef is leaner.
Nutrition Estimate
310 calories · 16g protein · 25g carbs · 15g fat · 2g fiber per serving
