New Year's Sesame Seed Balls
Ingredients
1 lb water-ground glutinous rice flour
1 1/4 cup light brown or white sugar
1 1/4 cup boiling water, approx.
1 cup red bean paste
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
6 cup oil for deep frying
Preparation
Put rice flour in large mixing bowl. Dissolve brown sugar in boiling
water; then stir sugar water into flour until flour is all damp. Add
more hot water if flour appears too dry. Pat and knead dough in bowl
until soft and smooth. Break off half the dough and roll it a little
between your palms; if it isn't smooth, wet your hands and roll it
again. Then break it into fifteen pieces. Roll each piece between
your palms into a ball about the size of a walnut. Cover with damp
towel or plastic wrap. Take a ball of dough and press an indentation
into it, making a deep cup. Place 1 teaspoon filling inside and close
the cup, making sure you completely cover the filling with the dough.
Pince and twist off a pice of dough and seal the edge well. Roll the
filled ball between your palms to make it perfectly round. Then roll
the ball in sesame seeds, pressing gently, until the entire surface
is covered and the seeds adhere to the dough. Prepare the other half
of the dough and cover the finished balls with a damp towel or
plastic wrap. Heat wok over medium heat. Add oil and heat to 350
degrees. Lower ina few balls at a time and let cook slighly. When
sesame seeds turn ligh brown, apply some pressure to the balls with
the back of a large ladle, pressing them against the bottom or side
of the pan. Do this continuously, pressing each ball until it blows
up to about three times its original size and the sesame seeds turn
golden brown; this takes about 5 minutes.Each time you press down on
a ball with the back of a large ladle, it will automatically turn
over and expand a little. The trick is to work all the balls in
separate turns, until they have tripled in size, pressing each one
separately and quickly going on to the next during the 5 minute
process. Drain the sesame balls on paper towels and serve them warm
or at room temperature. Already cooked sesame balls can be reheated
in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 5 minutes, or until they
puff up again. New Year's Sesame Seed Balls
Servings: 1
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