Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Dessert : Sesame Rice Ball


Sometimes, I get amazed by what I set out to do. Seriously I never thought I would make ever make this but I did and it worked. :)

I made this a few months back while I was still in Malaysia. I can still hear my mom sighing and mumbling to herself about the fact that I was going to mess up the kitchen again. You see, my mom is not adventurous in the kitchen, She likes everything simple and routine so whenever I go on my "experimental ventures", she will definitely say "Mah Fun (Cantonese)" or simply "Troublesome". And this has multiple meanings a.k.a... "You are troublesome", "Cooking this dish is troublesome", "Messing up the kitchen is troublesome"... etc.

However, when I make up my mind, I am unstoppable, I will find the recipe, check out more recipes to determine what is the right mix for what I want to make. But the real inspiration to make this dessert is really because I am a big pack of sesame seeds left and I needed a recipe to use them.

Hence this yummy Chinese recipe of Sesame Rice Ball, often served as dessert after a 10-course Chinese dinner. If you have not eaten this before, I encourage you to try it as it is really delicious.

Simple ingredients :



1. 2 cups of Glutinous Rice Flour (available in most Asian grocery stores)
2. 1 cup of red bean paste (may not need all)
3. 1/2 cup of brown sugar
4. 1 cup of boiling hot water
5. 1/2 cup of white sesame seeds
6. Oil for frying

Simple Steps :

1. First, dissolve the brown sugar in 1 cup of the boiling water.

2. Place the rice flour in a large bowl. Make a "well" in the middle of the bowl and add the dissolved sugar and water mixture. Stir until you have a sticky, caramel-colored dough. If the dough is too dry, add a bit more of boiling water.




3. Pinch off a piece of dough and roll it into a round shape (roughly the size of a ping-pong ball).



4. Make a deep indentation in the middle of dough. Place 1 tsp of red bean paste on the dough. Tip - you can roll up the red bean paste into round shape balls (much smaller than ping-pong size).
Pinch the sides of dough to seal up the red bean paste in the middle of dough. It is important to make sure the red bean paste is completely covered. Continue with the remainder of the dough.



5. Dip a ball into the small bowl of water (this will help the sesame seeds stick to the ball). Roll the ball over the sesame seeds. Repeat the process with the remainder of the balls.





6. Heat up wok of oil, deep-fry the sesame seed balls, a few at a time.

7. Once the sesame seeds turn light brown (about 2 minutes), use the back of a spatula or a large ladle to gently press the balls against the side of the wok or saucepan. You can also use long wooden chopsticks to apply pressure on each of the balls. This is help the balls expand and fluff up to 2-3 times its original size.



8. Drain the deep-fried sesame seed balls on paper towels. Serve immediately while it is slightly warm.



When you bite into these rice balls, you will find a crunchy texture on the outside enveloped by a fluffy and slightly chewy dough and then a smooth and sweet filling of red bean paste. Simply delicious!!

As for mom, she was rather delighted by the success of how the sesame rice balls turned out but she still mumbled under her breath.....Too "mah fun" (troublesome) to make these BUT I know she meant it as "Delicious"!! :)



30 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

They look perfect! I want to try a few!

ann low said...

I love sesame rice ball! Looks so delicious..anymore to share?

mysimplefood said...

Angie - Thanks.

Anncoo - They were gone quite fast :)

Belinda @zomppa said...

Wow, impressive! You know, I've always avoided these but I know a few good people who won't eat anything but this!

Unknown said...

I love sesame balls. I get them everytime I'm in Chinatown.

Unknown said...

wow these look and sound excellent! I love your recipes because they often are of things I've never tried before (and now want to!).

MaryMoh said...

These are my favourite...chewy ad delicious. I love the sesame flavour too. Great with a cup of Chinese tea...mmm

mysimplefood said...

Belinda - Try it! It is really yummy!

Joy - I also only use to eat it outside, I have not seen it in Dallas now but will be looking out!

Marisa - Thanks so much for your note. It's nice to know my recipe makes a difference.

Mary Moh - I agree. It makes a great snack.

Lawyer Loves Lunch said...

Wow, these look perfect and even better than the ones you buy. I imagine they taste great warm :)

Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron said...

I just sent this to a friend who I know she would love to make it! She has leftover red bean paste so this is perfect!

Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron said...

I just sent this to a friend who I know she would love to make it! She has leftover red bean paste so this is perfect!

Debi (Table Talk) said...

Our favorite Asian market makes this fresh only on Saturdays. My daughter and I love to stop in and get them while they are still warm--mmm.
Your pics looks so good...maybe we will try making these at home!

Smoky Wok (formerly Tastes of Home) said...

your rice balls look so good! These are my mom's favourite kuih :)

Unknown said...

Those look fantastic. I would have never guessed they were filled with that rich paste. Perfect!

Spoon and Chopsticks said...

They look really yummy. I can't remember but I think I have tried these somewhere before. I wanna make these myself at home. After reading your recipe, they look absolutely doable. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

These look great! I can see my kitchen after making them though...sesame seeds everywhere! :)

Caveman Cooking said...

This is a staple ending to any Dim Sum meal. Looks incredibly authentic and delicious, Ivy!

MaryMoh said...

Mmmm....I love these...chewy ad delicious.

Noob Cook said...

this is a feat! they look gorgeous! :D my mum also like that ... she always ask me not to cook in fact haha

mysimplefood said...

Lawyer Loves Lunch - Yes. It is delicious when it is slightly warm. Hope you are having a great Aidilfitri celebration!

Tanantha - Thanks. Yeah, it's great to find a recipe for a leftover sitting in the fridge!

Debi - Do try it out and let me know how it turned out. :)

Jen - Thanks for your compliments. My mom loves it too.

mysimplefood said...

The Mom Chef - Thanks dear. Yup it's difficult to guess what's inside until you eat them. Infact, some substitute red bean paste with lotus paste.

Spoon & Chopsticks - I never thot I would ever do this at home but it turned out great and also not that difficult.

Baking serendipity - I know, the sesame seeds do get everywhere. They are so yummy I often feel I need to pick each little bit up.

Caveman Cooking - Thanks for your compliments and I agree, a delicious end to dim sum meal.

Mary Moh - Yes, I think it should be a hit with everyone who tries it.

Noobcook - Thanks. I think moms are just afraid we don't clean up after and they can't find their stuff after :)

Esther said...

Wow this is so cool! I never saw these homemade before. I remember as a child, I would always eat the whole thing whenever my mom bought them from the Chinese supermarket. My brother loves these too. Thanks for sharing. :)

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Blogging makes one do the most unfathomable things... simple things we had all taken for granted and in all correct senses would not have been bothered to do if we had not blogged. Good job on your sesame balls!

mysimplefood said...

Esther - I never thot I would made this at home too but I did and it worked out well :)

Shirley - Thank you. I agree, I become more adventurous now and always thinking of new recipes!

Prairie Story said...

These look cute & scrumptious! And I really like sesame seeds!

Jun Indochine Kitchen said...

Beautifully fried sesame balls. I tried making them several times, but they look really .. ugly and the skin doesn't taste good. I like the ones with ground peanuts and castor sugar as filling. I will try your recipe one of these days.

mysimplefood said...

Prairie Story - Yup! Anything with sesame seeds are simply delicious!

Jun - Hi!! Yup I love the ground peanuts too bt I have not made them before. Hmm....you are giving me an idea on what to make. Thanks. :)

Cooking Gallery said...

I love these! Everytime I eat Chinese here, I always have at least one of those balls :)!

mysimplefood said...

Cooking Gallery - Thanks. Maybe you can try out my recipes and see if it works! :)

Anonymous said...

Incredible! I did these after our double date sushi night, they were a huge hit!

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