Chinese sesame balls
Chinese sesame balls, or jin deui in Cantonese, are glutinous rice balls coated all over in white sesame seeds and fried until they puff up big and hollow. The outside is shatteringly crisp and fragrant with toasted sesame, while the inside is soft and chewy, wrapped around a sweet, earthy red bean filling. They're a dim sum favorite and a Lunar New Year treat that wishes everyone plenty and prosperity.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rising or chilling
- 15 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 20 min
- Method
- Fried
Ingredients
Glutinous rice dough
Red bean filling
Sesame coating
Frying oil
Instructions
Step 1
Put 60 g brown sugar and 180 g water in a small saucepan, heat over medium and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, then turn off the heat. The hot syrup partly cooks some of the glutinous rice flour, which makes the dough chewy and keeps the shells from cracking as they fry. The syrup is ready when it's clear, with no sugar grains left, and still steaming hot.
Step 2
Mix 230 g glutinous rice flour with 20 g wheat starch and 2 g baking powder, slowly pour in the hot syrup and stir with chopsticks. Once it's cool enough to handle, add 10 g vegetable oil and knead for about five minutes, then cover tightly and let rest for ten minutes. Wheat starch makes the shell crisper, and the oil keeps the dough soft so it doesn't dry out and crack. The dough is ready when it's smooth like modeling clay and doesn't crack at the edges when you press a finger into it.
Step 3
Divide 200 g sweet red bean paste into sixteen equal pieces, roll them into balls and set them on a plate. Firmly rolled filling leaves no air pockets that could make the balls burst while frying. The filling is ready when the balls are round, firm and no longer sticky.
Step 4
Divide the dough into sixteen pieces and press each one into a small cup with thin edges and a thicker center. Set a ball of filling inside, pinch the dough up to seal it completely and gently roll it into a smooth ball. A thicker base keeps the ball from splitting as the dough puffs up. Each ball is ready when it's evenly round with a smooth surface and no cracks.
Step 5
Quickly dip each ball into a bowl of to taste water, roll it in 60 g white sesame seeds, then roll it firmly between your palms. Pressing firmly sets the seeds deep into the shell so they don't fall off in the oil. You're done when every ball is covered in a thick layer of sesame with no white dough showing.
Step 6
Heat to taste oil for deep-frying in a deep pan to about 140°C, add the balls, keep the heat low and roll them constantly for about ten minutes. The low heat gives the balls time to expand slowly; if the oil is too hot, the shell hardens before it can puff. They're on track when they float to the surface and start to grow.
Step 7
Once the balls float, use a slotted spoon to gently push them under the oil and release them, repeating over and over for about four minutes while you raise the heat to medium. Each press pushes the air inside outward, making the ball swell and leaving a hollow center. They're done when they're nearly twice their original size and the sesame is evenly golden brown.
Step 8
Lift the balls onto a rack lined with paper towels and let them cool for about five minutes before eating. They need to shed some oil and steam so the shell stays crisp. They're ready when the shell is firm and crisp, sounds hollow when tapped and the sesame no longer looks oily.
Equipment
- Deep skillet
- Thermometer
- Small saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap
- Wire cooling rack
Tips
- You can swap the red bean filling for mung bean or lotus seed paste; just make sure the filling is dry enough to roll into balls.
- If the dough is too dry and cracks as you shape it, knead in more water a teaspoon at a time until it's smooth again.
- Use raw sesame seeds rather than pre-toasted ones so they don't burn during the fairly long frying time.
Storage
Sesame balls are best eaten within two hours of frying. You can leave them in an uncovered container at room temperature until the end of the day, then reheat them in a 180°C oven for about five minutes to crisp the shell again.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The balls burst in the oil.
- There was air trapped inside or the shell was too thin in places. Roll the filling very firmly, wrap it in an evenly thick shell and always start frying in oil that's only moderately warm.
- The balls didn't puff, or they collapsed after coming out of the oil.
- The oil was too hot and set the shell too early, or the balls weren't fried long enough. Keep the oil at about 140°C at first and only raise the heat once the balls have grown large.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
