Sesame Balls Recipe (5 Ingredients)

Fried sesame balls are the perfect blend of crunchiness, chewiness, sweetness, and nutty flavor. This recipe only requires 5 ingredients!

WHAT ARE SESAME BALLS?

Sesame Balls, or 芝麻球, is a popular Chinese treat that is often served during Lunar New Year. You can also find sesame balls at dim sum restaurants and Asian bakeries. These sweet desserts are made from glutinous rice flour, filled with sweet lotus or red bean paste, and coated with sesame seeds. The dough is deep-fried until it turns crispy and beautiful golden brown.

LOOKING FOR MORE CHEWY RECIPES? TRY THESE:

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• Taiwanese Taro and Sweet Potato Balls
• The BEST Matcha Mochi Chocolate Chip Cookies

WHAT ARE SESAME BALLS FILLED WITH?

Sesame balls are commonly filled with lotus seed paste or red bean paste. I used store-bought red bean paste in this recipe. You can also try different fillings such as taro paste, black bean paste, or pumpkin paste. Some people prefer sesame balls without filling, which would still taste delicious on their own!

INGREDIENTS:

• Glutinous Rice Flour
• Hot Water
• Sugar
• Red Bean Paste
• White Sesame Seeds
• Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

PREP HOT WATER: In a small pan, add water and sugar. Heat the pot over medium-high heat, until the sugar dissolves and water is boiling.

PREPEARE THE DOUGH: In a big bowl, add glutinous rice flour. Gradually pour the hot water into the flour while constantly stirring with chopsticks or a fork. Then knead the dough with your hands until it forms a smooth and elastic dough. You can add 1tsp of oil to help form and smooth out the dough. Add more water if it is too dry or crumbly. Add more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.

SHAPE AND DIVIDE: Divide the dough into small, golf-sized equal portions. Flatten each portion and add red bean paste in the center. Pinch the dough edges together to enclose the filling. Roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth ball.

COATING: Prepare a dish filled with room temperature water and another plate with sesame seeds. Roll the ball in the water, until the surface is moistened. Then roll each ball in white sesame seeds until generously coated. Make sure the entire ball is covered with sesame seeds, leaving no space in between! Use your hands to gently apply pressure to the sesame seeds and really make sure they are adhered to the dough. The ball will expand quite a bit during frying, so you want to make sure the dough is fully packed with sesame seeds.

FRYING: In a wok or frying pan, add oil and heat to about 300F. Add sesame balls into the oil and fry for about 10 minutes. Use a skimmer or wooden spoon to gently press down the sesame balls and move the balls around to ensure even frying. Once the sesame balls float to the top, increase the heat and bring the temperature to about 350F. Fry them for another 3-5 minutes, or until the sesame balls turn golden brown.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

• The dough should be smooth, firm, and elastic. Adjust water and flour if needed. Add water if the dough is too dry and crumbly, and add flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.
• It is best to use oil with high smoking point to fry sesame balls. You can use corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil.
• Moisten the dough surface can help sesame seeds adhere to the surface better. Firmly pack the balls with sesame seeds. Do no leave space in between. Sesame balls expand when frying, causing sesame seeds to fall off if they are not adhere firmly to the dough surface.
• Use a skimmer or wooden spoon to gently swirl the sesame balls in circular motion to ensure all the sesame balls are fried evenly.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!

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