Qingtuan (Green Mugwort Rice Balls with Red Bean)

Instructions

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the baking soda and the fresh mugwort leaves and blanch for 1 minute until bright green and limp. Drain, rinse under cold water and squeeze the leaves as dry as you can.
2. Blend the squeezed leaves with the 150 ml water to a smooth green purée, then heat the purée in a small pan until steaming hot, just below a boil.
3. Mix the glutinous rice flour, rice flour and granulated sugar in a bowl. Pour in the hot mugwort purée, stir with chopsticks into shaggy clumps, and once cool enough to handle, knead with the neutral oil into a smooth, soft, non-sticky dough, about 5 minutes. Add a spoonful of water if it cracks, or a spoonful of glutinous rice flour if it sticks.
4. Roll the sweet red bean paste into 12 balls of 25 g each. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and keep them covered so they do not dry out.
5. Flatten a piece of dough into a cup about 3 inches (8 cm) wide, set a bean paste ball in the center, push the dough up around it and pinch to seal completely, then roll gently into a smooth ball. Set each on a small square of oiled parchment.
6. Bring water in a steamer to a rolling boil. Steam the balls, covered, over high heat until glossy, darker green and soft when pressed, 12 to 15 minutes.
7. Brush the hot qingtuan lightly with oil so they stay shiny and do not stick, then cool to warm or room temperature, about 20 minutes, before eating.