Sesame Ball Jian Dui 煎堆
This little ball of golden goodness took a few tries to get right. I wanted to make these light as air sweet treats for the Chinese New Year as they are a lucky symbol, being golden and perfectly round and fortuitously expanding to several times their original size.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 8 min
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour, 62g
- 3 tbsp water, 46 ml
- 5 tbsp glutinous rice flour, 38g
- 2 tbsp sugar, 25g
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch baking soda
- 1.5 tbsp water, 22 ml
- 1/2 cup white or black sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Mix flour and water for pre-cooked dough until a dough forms. Tear into ten approx. equal pieces and boil in small pot of boiling water for 3 mins. Drain.
- 2
Mix remaining rice flour, sugar, baking power and baking soda with water until a dough forms. Add in the boiled dough and knead until two doughs from one pliable smooth dough. If dough seems too dry sprinkle a bit of water. If too wet add a bit of rice flour.
- 3
Divide dough into 10 equal pieces and roll into round balls.
- 4
Pour a thick layer of sesame seeds into a shallow dish. Use fingers to lightly moisten with water, then roll balls in sesame seeds until covered densely all over.
- 5
In a wok pour in enough oil to completely submerge the balls at three times their uncooked size, about 3 inches. Heat oil to 140C or 285F.
- 6
Carefully drop in 2-3 balls which will drop to the bottom and cook. Use spatula to gently turn balls to allow even heating on all sides. When the balls rise to the top of the oil, continue rolling balls around evenly while gently pressing down just under the oil surface and against the side of the wok. As you do this rolling and pressing the dough balls will expand. Do it evenly on all sides and you will get a perfectly round result.
- 7
When the sesame ball is about 3 times the size of the original and a light golden brown remove from oil, about 5 mins. The balls will continue to darken a bit after removing from oil.
- 8
Place on kitchen towel to drain any excess oil and then serve it up hot.