These Crispy Chinese Sesame Balls (Jian Dui) Made Easy will satisfy all your sweet cravings! Discover how to get that perfect golden crunch on the outside and a soft, chewy inside with this foolproof recipe for Crispy Chinese Sesame Balls (Jian Dui) Made Easy right in your own kitchen.
Crispy Chinese Sesame Balls (Jian Dui) Made Easy
There is nothing quite like biting into a fresh sesame ball at a bakery or dim sum restaurant. The satisfying crunch of the toasted sesame seeds gives way to a delightfully chewy, mochi-like wrapper, revealing a sweet, rich center of red bean or black sesame paste. Making these Crispy Chinese Sesame Balls (Jian Dui) Made Easy at home is incredibly rewarding, and watching them magically puff up in the frying oil is half the fun!
The trick to keeping them perfectly round and hollow on the inside is controlling your oil temperature and gently pressing them as they fry.
What You'll Need
For the Dough:
2 cups glutinous rice flour (also called sweet rice flour or mochiko; regular rice flour will not work)
1/2 cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
3/4 cup hot boiling water (plus a little extra if the dough is too dry)
1 cup white sesame seeds (for coating)
For the Filling & Frying:
3/4 cup sweet red bean paste or black sesame paste (store-bought makes this easy!)
Neutral oil for deep frying (like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil)
How to Make It
Prep the filling: Scoop out your red bean or black sesame paste and roll them into small, bite-sized balls (about the size of a marble or a teaspoon each). Place them on a plate and set them aside.
Make the sweet water: In a heat-proof bowl, dissolve the sugar completely into the hot boiling water.
Mix the dough: Place the glutinous rice flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the hot sugar water while stirring with a wooden spoon or chopsticks. Once it's cool enough to handle, use your hands to knead the mixture into a smooth, pliable dough. It should feel like Play-Doh. If it's too crumbly, add warm water a teaspoon at a time.
Form the balls: Pinch off a piece of dough (about the size of a golf ball) and roll it into a sphere. Use your thumb to press an indentation into the center, forming a little cup. Place a ball of your sweet filling inside, then carefully pinch the dough closed around it, sealing it completely. Roll it between your palms until perfectly smooth.
Coat with sesame seeds: Dip each dough ball briefly into a bowl of water (just to get it damp, not soaking), then immediately drop it into a bowl of white sesame seeds. Roll it around to coat it thoroughly, and gently press the seeds into the dough with your hands so they don't fall off during frying.
Fry to perfection: Heat about 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or wok over medium-low heat (around 150°C). Gently drop the sesame balls in, working in batches so you don't crowd the pot.
The puffing secret: As they fry, they will eventually float to the top. When they do, use the back of a slotted spoon or spatula to gently press them down against the side or bottom of the pot. Doing this a few times causes them to expand and puff up! Fry for about 8 to 10 minutes total, turning them constantly until they are deeply golden brown and crispy.
Cool and serve: Remove the sesame balls with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Let them cool slightly before biting in—the filling gets very hot!
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