Sesame balls

These red bean-filled sesame balls are popular at yum cha, and they will be a hit at your family table, too!

Red bean sesame balls Credit: One World Kitchen

• makes

  12-14

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  2:30 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1¼ cup (310 ml) water
• 3¼ cup glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• ¾ cup white sesame seeds
• 1 cup red bean paste (see below)
• Peanut oil, for deep frying 

Red bean paste

• 1 cup dried red beans (adzuki beans)
• ½ cup (100 g) sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 tbsp (100 ml) peanut oil 

Soaking time: overnight

Cooling time: 2 hours

Instructions

1. To make the red bean paste, place dried red beans in a mixing bowl and cover with water to soak overnight.
 
2. Drain and rinse beans. Add beans to a medium pot and cover with water. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours, until the beans are completely soft.
 
3. Drain beans and add to food processor with sugar and salt. Process until smooth.
 
4. Transfer puree to saucepan, and add peanut oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it becomes thick and shiny. Once you reach the consistency of cookie dough, the red bean paste is ready. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to cool completely.
 
5. In a small pot, bring water to a boil over high heat.
 
6. Place brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over brown sugar, and stir until brown sugar is completely dissolved.
 
7. In a separate mixing bowl, mix glutinous rice flour and baking soda. Form a well in the centre of the flour mixture, and slowly pour in brown sugar solution. Stir until mixture is smooth but still firm and tacky.
 
8. Pick up enough dough to roll into a 2-inch ball. In the palm of your hand, press ball into a flat circle. Place 1 tablespoon of red bean paste into the centre of the dough. Using your fingertips, wrap dough around red bean paste to form a ball. Cover the paste completely, and seal edges shut. Roll stuffed ball in the palms of your hands to ensure the ball is perfectly round. Repeat process until all balls are stuffed and red bean paste has been used up.
 
9. Place sesame seeds in a deep dish. Roll each ball into the sesame seeds until evenly coated.
 
10. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 170°C (340 F).
 
11. Place balls in hot oil, in batches, so that they do not touch each other. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and firm. Using a slotted spoon, remove sesame balls from hot oil and place on a paper towel to remove excess liquid. Repeat process until all sesame balls have been cooked.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.