sesame balls

Chinese fried Sesame Balls are a popular dim sum item. Try our authentic, extensively tested recipe, and make them with either lotus or red bean paste.

Sesame Balls

glutinous rice flour ((divided))

sugar

water

lotus paste or red bean paste

sesame seeds ((raw

Choose your filling—You can buy ready-made filling pastes at the Asian or Chinese grocery store, or use our lotus paste or red bean paste recipes. We used lotus paste.

Make sesame ball dough. Place ¼ cup (60g) glutinous rice flour and sugar in a bowl. Pour ¼ cup (60g) of boiling water into the flour and sugar. Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (70g) room temperature water and the rest of the glutinous flour (1 cup, 120g). Mix with a spatula until it forms a dough, and all the flour has been incorporated. Cover with an overturned plate or put it in a reusable silicone bag. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Prepare your sesame seeds by pouring them in a fine-meshed strainer and rinsing them until they&#039;re completely soaked. Let the excess water drain and place the sesame seeds on a plate. Spread them out evenly with enough space for rolling the sesame balls. You can use a paper towel if the sesame seeds are very wet. They should be moist, but not dripping wet.

Your filling should be half the weight of your dough ball. Use your kitchen scale to measure out 8 pieces of lotus or red bean paste that weigh 24g each. Roll them into balls and set aside.

Weigh the dough ball on a digital kitchen scale – it should weigh about 370 to 380 grams. Whatever your weight is, divide it by 8 to get the weight for each dough ball (in our case, we got 47g). Using the kitchen scale, separate the dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll them into balls. Set them aside on a plate, and cover them so they don’t dry out.

To assemble, flatten the dough ball until it is 3 inches in diameter – the middle should be slightly thicker. Place 1 ball of filling in the center of the dough, wrapping the dough around the ball. Pinch the dough together so it covers all the filling, making the thickness of the dough as even as possible. You can pinch excess dough from the point where the sesame ball is sealed to fill empty spots or reinforce areas that look thin.

After the filling is completely covered, gently press it all together to form a ball, rolling it between the palms of your hands until the seams disappear, and you form a uniform round ball.

Roll the ball in the moistened sesame seeds until the entire ball is thoroughly covered. Roll the ball again in your hands to press the sesame seeds into the dough and place on parchment paper until they are ready to deep-fry.

Heat 4 cups of peanut or canola oil in a medium deep pot to a stable 320°F/160°C. (Use a thermometer for accuracy, as achieving the right oil temperature is extremely important.) The oil should fill the pot about halfway.

Add 4 sesame balls into the oil, and immediately use a slotted spoon to gently move them in a circular motion so they do not stick to the pot. This is a necessary step throughout the entire process to ensure even frying. Don’t leave them unattended. Adding the sesame balls will lower the oil temperature down below 300°F/150°C, but shouldn’t take it below 290°F/143°C. Adjust the heat slightly higher or lower to maintain the oil temperature at 300°F/150°C.

After 10 minutes, your sesame balls will begin to float to the top of the oil. Now, your technique changes to keep them rolling in the oil so all sides get the same frying time. You can also occasionally press all four sesame balls down using a slotted spoon or small spider to keep them submerged in the oil. Do this for 2-3 minutes.

At this stage, increase the heat to bring the oil temperature gradually up to 350°F. Fry them for another 5 minutes, for a total of 17-18 minutes, or until they turn a light golden brown. This last stage of frying at a higher temperature browns them. The sesame balls will expand and grow slightly at this higher oil temperature. The outer crust is now strong enough such that they should not burst, as long as you don’t have any weak or thin spots in the dough.

Transfer the finished sesame balls to a strainer, cooling rack or plate lined with paper towels for the oil to drain. Repeat with the second batch. Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

These Chinese Red Bean Paste Sesame Balls are equally popular in fine dining restaurants or as street food! They have a crunchy and tensile texture over a delicious Red Bean Paste filling. The taste is a “one-of-a-kind” sensation.

Chinese Red Bean Paste Sesame Balls

Red Beans (hydrated overnight)

Water

g Condensed Milk

Glutinous Rice Flour

Sugar

tsp Vegetable Oil

Sesame Seeds, raw

In a bowl, add enough water to generously cover the Beans. Cover and soak overnight.

Rinse the Beans. In a pot, add 2 cups Water. On high heat, bring the water to a boil. Lower to medium heat and simmer the Beans for 30 to 40 minutes.

Rinse the Beans, put in a blender with a little water, and grind into a smooth paste.

In a frying pan, on medium heat, add the Bean paste and Condensed Milk. Cook into a thick texture without the liquid. Then transfer to a bowl and set aside to chill.

Make the Red Bean Paste

Boil the Water and combine with the Sugar in another bowl (I use a large measuring cup).

Put 2 cups of Glutinous Rice Flour in a mixing bowl and make a shallow well in the center. Gradually add in the Sugar Water. Mix well. Add 1/2 tsp of Vegetable Oil and mix well again. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 10 minutes.

Scoop out a heaping 1/2 tsp Red Bean Paste. Form into a ball. Make 16 balls. Set in the fridge to chill.

Dust some Glutinous Rice Flour on your countertop. Roll out the dough and cut it into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball with your hands and place in a covered plate to prevent drying out.

Make the Dough

Put Sesame Seeds in one small bowl and set aside.

In another small bowl, mix a little water with 1 tsp of Rice Flour and set aside.

Use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon to fatten one ball of dough. Make it large enough to add the Red Bean Paste. Fold and pinch the dough around the Paste from the middle and then from the edges. Roll it into a ball.

Use a spoon to dip the ball into the Rice flour water for a few seconds.

Then put the ball into the Sesame Seeds bowl. Use your dry hand to cover the ball with Sesame Seeds. Roll the ball with your hands again to get rid of excess Sesame Seeds. Set aside.

Repeat the same procedure for all 16 balls.

Make the Sesame Balls

In a pot or frying pan, add in Vegetable Oil to a depth of 3 inches deep. Turn the heat to medium. When the Oil reaches 120 C (250 F), add a few Sesame Balls, according to the size of your pot. Do not overcrowd!

Use chopsticks to rotate the Sesame Balls until they are evenly cooked. They will pop up to the surface. Use a ladle or a strainer to keep them submerged completely in the oil. Total cooking time is 7-8 minutes. After 5-6 minutes, turn the heat up to medium-high.

Once a nice golden brown color is reached, remove and place on a paper towel to drain off the excess oil. Serve warm!

Fry the Sesame Balls

Classic Chinese sesame balls with a black sesame paste filling.

Chinese Sesame Balls

black sesame seeds

honey

brown sugar

sweet rice flour

tbsp sesame seeds

tbsp black sesame seeds

vegetable oil

First make your black sesame paste. Toast black sesame seeds for ~30 seconds until you smell a toasted, earthy aroma. Add the black sesame seeds to a spice grinder and pulse until you get a powder. Combine the black sesame powder and honey in a small bowl. Mix until a thick paste forms. Set aside. 

Next make your dough. Combine boiling water and light brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix until uniform.

Add sweet rice flour to a separate bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour. Pour the sugar water into that well and mix. Once the dough starts to form, roll the dough out onto a floured surface. Add more flour or water as needed. Knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces.

Now it&#039;s time to put it all together. Add white and black sesame seeds to a bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, add a 1-2 cups of water. Set aside.

Take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Use your thumb to flatten out the ball into a 1/4 inch thick disc. Add 1 teaspoon of the black sesame paste to the center of the disc. Gather the edges of the disc and pinch together. Roll the dough between your hands to form a uniform ball. Dip the sesame ball into water and then coat with the sesame seed mixture. Repeat this process until you have 8 sesame balls.

Heat vegetable oil to 300 degrees F. Make sure the oil is 2 inches deep. Fry each sesame ball for 10 minutes until the outside is golden. Use a candy thermometer to ensure your temperature stays consistent. Dry sesame balls on paper towels before serving.

Gooey dough filled with red bean paste and coated with crispy sesame seeds, Chinese sesame balls are simply delightful! Learn how to make them to perfection.

Sesame Balls (Jian Dui/煎堆)

glutinous rice flour (divided)

white sugar

water (just boiled)

tsp neutral cooking oil

red bean paste

tbsp glutinous rice flour

sesame seeds (raw

Neutral cooking oil (for deep frying (see note 2))

Put about two thirds of the glutinous rice flour into a mixing bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Pour hot water over and mix with chopsticks until a sticky mass forms.

Add the remaining one third of glutinous rice flour in two batches. Mix with chopsticks, then combine with your hand to form a soft dough that doesn’t stick easily to your hands (see note 3).

Finally, add oil and knead it into the dough. It will become smoother and completely sticky-free.

Make the dough

Roll the dough into a rope then cut it into 12 equal parts. Shape each piece into a ball.

Divide red bean paste (or the filling of your choice), into 12 equal portions (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll them into balls as well.

Shape a dough ball into a bowl shape. Place a piece of filling in the middle. Gently push the dough upwards to wrap around the filling tightly. Seal completely at the top, making sure there isn’t any leakage.

Shape the balls

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of glutinous rice flour with about ½ cup (120ml) of water. Put sesame seeds into another bowl.

Briefly roll an assembled ball in the flour-water mixture to wet it all over. Then transfer it to the sesame bowl. Move the bowl in a circular motion so that the ball rolls and gets covered by the seeds.

Gently press the ball all around to make sure all the seeds stick to the dough securely.

Coat the balls

Pour oil, enough to fully submerge the sesame balls, into a saucepan/wok for deep-frying. Heat it until it reaches 250°F/120°C.

Gently slide in the balls. Do not overcrowd them as they will expand. Fry in batches if necessary. Use medium-low heat to fry. Move the balls around with a spoon to prevent sticking.

Once they start floating on the surface, gently press them down with a slotted spoon so that they are submerged in the oil all the time.

When the balls expand about 1½ times bigger than their original size, turn the heat up to high so it reaches about 320°F/160°C. Continue frying the balls, while pressing them down, for a short period until the sesame seeds become golden (see note 4).

Transfer the balls out to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Let them sit for a few minutes before serving.

Fry the balls

You can keep leftovers, inside airtight bags/containers, in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

Reheat them in a preheated oven at 375°F/190°C for about 8 minutes (defrost first if frozen), or in an air fryer preheated at 375°F/190°C for 3 minutes.

Store &amp; reheat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpzay_yDzFA

After watching this video, I high recommend you read my written recipe post (https://redhousespice.com/sesame-balls/) which includes many tips to help you cook sesame balls SAFELY and successfully. Please do not skip!
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⭐️ Ingredients:
- FOR THE DOUGH
2 cups (230g) glutinous rice flour, divided (use two thirds to mix with hot water, then add the remaining one third)
¼ cup (55g) white sugar
⅔ cup (160g) hot water, just boiled
1 tsp neutral cooking oil
- FOR THE FILLING
¾ cup (180g) red bean paste (https://redhousespice.com/red-bean-paste/)
- FOR COATING
1 tbsp glutinous rice flour, mixed with ½ cup (120ml) of water
⅓ cup (35 g) sesame seeds, raw or lightly toasted
- FOR DEEP_FRYING
Neutral cooking oil, enough to submerge the balls
.
🔎 Full written recipe: https://redhousespice.com/sesame-balls/
🎵 Music: Sailors Waltz by Ikson: https://youtu.be/oqLZg7RZNfM?feature=shared 
.
0:00 Make the dough
0:42 Divide the dough & filling
0:55 Assemble the balls
1:15 Coat the balls
1:27 Deep-fry the balls

Sesame Balls (煎堆/芝麻球) with Red Bean Paste Filling

Unbelievably crunchy rice balls, coated in sesame seeds and filled with a satisfyingly chewy, subtly sweet, mochi-like center.

Super Easy Sesame Balls

A little less than 1/2 cup (110 milliliters) water

(50 grams) white sugar

(130 grams) glutinous rice flour

tsp (4 grams) neutral oil

(48 grams) white sesame

neutral oil (for frying)

Heat up a pot on the stove over low heat and pour in a pint of oil. Let it heat up until it’s hot.

Prep

On a pan over medium-high heat, mix the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.

In a big bowl, mix glutinous rice flour with the sugar water which may be added in at any temperature. Mix until it’s clumpy, then add in 1 tsp of oil.

Use your hands to knead it into a smooth, firm dough ball. It shouldn’t be too saggy. The perfect texture of a sesame ball dough before it is fried should be smooth, elastic, and firm but not too dry or too soft.

If the dough sags, add glutinous rice flour to the dough ball 1/4 teaspoon at a time until it is firm but not too dry.

Dough

Split the dough into 6 pieces and roll them into spheres.

Toss it in sesame seeds. Repeat for the rest of the dough.

Shape

When the oil in the pot hits 250°F / 111°C, toss in the sesame balls. Flip continuously until they float, 10 mins.

Then, take turns submerging the balls in the hot oil with a sieve.

After the initial 20 minutes, gradually increase the oil temperature to 300°F / 148°C for the final 10 minutes of frying.

They should look round and light golden brown. Transfer them onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve while warm and enjoy same day!If you&#39;ve tried this recipe, please let me know what you think in the comments below! And if you enjoyed it, don&#39;t forget to give it a thumbs up or share it with your friends! You can help my channel by tagging @vocabularyoffood in your cooks. ۶(◠ 。◠)۶

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Top 5 sesame balls recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Sesame Balls

Chinese Red Bean Paste Sesame Balls

Chinese Sesame Balls

Sesame Balls (Jian Dui/煎堆)

Super Easy Sesame Balls

The most viewed sesame balls recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine