Sesame Balls: the Chinese tasty recipe you need to try

Sesame balls, also known as Jian Dui, is a traditional Chinese treat made from sticky rice flour dough. It’s filled with a sweet paste (usually red bean paste), rolled in sesame seeds, then fried until round and puffy.

To make these Chinese Sesame Balls, you’ll need glutinous rice flour (make sure it’s glutinous), sesame seeds, and a sweet filling, usually red bean paste. You can make your own homemade paste, or buy premade pastes at your local Asian store. If you’re new to making sesame balls, we definitely recommend buying a store-bought paste. Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with making your own!

How To Make Sesame Balls

Making The Dough

Place the boiling water in a glass jug and add the brown sugar. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Place the rice flour in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the sugar water to the rice flour and mix to form a sticky, caramel-colored dough. You may have to add a few more tablespoons of water.

Making the Filling

For this recipe, we used store-bought red bean paste. It’ll be easy to find in any Asian market in your area.

Assembling and Frying Sesame Balls

Spread the sesame seeds out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place a cup of water next to the sesame seeds. Pinch off a piece of dough (about the size of a golf ball) and use your thumb to create an indentation. Scoop 1 teaspoon of red bean paste and roll it into a ball.

Place the red bean paste ball into the sesame dough, and close the dough over the paste, making sure it’s completely covered. Continue until all the dough is used up. Wet the sesame ball slightly. Roll the ball in the sesame seeds, making sure it’s completely covered. Continue with the rest of the dough balls.

Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to about 325°F/165°C. Carefully add the sesame seed balls to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. They usually double in size, so they need space to expand. Use a spoon to press the balls down as they start to expand and rise.  Cook until the sesame balls turn light brown, then drain on paper towels, then serve.

Tips For Making Chinese Sesame Balls

Use peanut oil for the best results. If you can’t find peanut oil, canola or vegetable oil will also work.

Feel free to use other fillings like Nutella, sesame filling, or lotus paste.

Be sure to use glutinous rice flour, otherwise, the recipe won’t work!

How To Store Sesame Balls

Store the sesame balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in the oven to make them crispy again.

Instructions

Spread the sesame seeds out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place a cup of water next to the sesame seeds. Place the boiling water in a glass jug and add the brown sugar. Whisk to dissolve the sugar.

Place the rice flour in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the sugar water to the rice flour and mix to form a sticky, caramel-colored dough. You may have to add a few more tablespoons of water.

Pinch off a piece of dough (about the size of a golf ball) and use your thumb to create an indentation.

Scoop 1 teaspoon of red bean paste and roll it into a ball. Continue until all the dough is used up.

Dip your fingers into the bowl of water and use it to wet the dough ball.

Roll the wet sesame ball in the sesame seeds, making sure it’s completely covered.

Continue with the rest of the dough balls.

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot.Carefully add the sesame seed balls to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Press the balls down as they start to expand and rise. Keeping the oil at the correct temperature is very important. The oil will cool as you continue to add sesame balls to the pot. Measure the temperature to make sure that it doesn’t go below 300°F/150°C. If the oil is too hot, the balls will expand too fast and might burst.

Cook until the sesame balls turn light brown.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm and enjoy!