Pearl Balls

Our Saturday get-together with friends broke up a little after midnight. When we got home, I took a cup of glutinous rice, placed it in a bowl, added twice as much water and placed the bowl in the fridge, to prepare the rice for the next day’s lunch–pearl balls.

Pearl balls is the name for seasoned meat balls rolled in pre-soaked glutinous rice and steamed. Unless the rice had been pre-soaked, it would be insufficiently cooked after steaming. Thus, the rice needs time to absorb as much water it can, and swell, before steaming. Pre-soaking for 8 hours is usually enough.

When buying ground pork, choose the pork meat first, then have it ground. Pre-ground pork usually contains too much fat.

Use a cheese grater to grate the carrots and ginger.

Ingredients :

1 c. of glutinous rice, washed and soaked in 2 c. of water for 8 hours or overnight
1/2 k. of ground lean pork
1 tbsp. of finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp. of finely grated ginger
1/2 carrot, finely grated
1 tbsp. of light soy sauce
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of pepper
1/2 tsp. of sesame seed oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp. of cooking oil

How to :

Strain the rice and place on a shallow bowl.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients. Form into balls about 1″ in diameter. Roll each meat ball in the rice, pressing the rice grains onto the sides of the balls.

Grease two heatproof plates with the cooking oil.

Place the balls on the greased plates, 1″ apart. Place the plates on a steamer and steam over medium heat for 20-25 minutes. If your steamer cannot hold both plates at a time, steam the pearl balls in two batches. Serve with ginger-garlic-soy sauce.

For the ginger-garlic-soy sauce :

Mix together 1 tsp. of finely chopped (or grated) ginger, 1 tsp. of finely chopped garlic, 2 tsp. of finely chopped onions, 1/4 c. of light soy sauce, 1 tsp. of vinegar and 1-1/2 tsp. of sugar.

In the mood for more food?

1. Sweet and sour chicken
2. Bean sprout lumpia
3. Saging na saba (saba bananas)
4. Vegetable stuffed beef rolls
5. Fresh tropical fruits salad
6. Penne with pesto and grilled fillet of sole
7. Mussel soup with coconut milk
8. Beef laing
9. Baked pompano and red cabbage
10. Pianono from Shoppersville

About Pinoy Cook

• About the author
• Cooking philosophy
• Food photography
• The noche buena section
• Product review policy
• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Recipe archive
• Published articles
• Food from all over
• E-mail the author

Readers

 Subscribe in a reader

Fish & seafood

• Tilapia with shredded corn and coconut cream
• Mackerel frittata
• Salmon salad with mango-lemon dressing
• Fish fillets in white wine and cream-and-cheese sauce
• Baked pompano and red cabbage
• Tuna belly fillets with garlic and rosemary
• Baked tahong (mussels)
• Baked mussels (tahong), the simple way
• Pasta with clams in red wine sauce
• Crouching tiger, hidden salmon

Healthy veggies

• Stuffed zucchini
• A side dish: buttered corn and carrots
• 10-minute stir fried chicken, quail eggs and vegetables
• Oven-fried potato chips
• Chicken livers and string beans
• Baked eggplants with bacon and cheese
• Mashed potatoes and kalabasa (squash)
• Potato salad with toasted cashew nuts
• The complete salad
• Fruitier vegetable salad

Sidenotes