Hell Yeah It's Vegan!

These sesame seed balls are one of my favorite treats that I always seek out whenever I go out for Chinese food. They’re a deep-fried, filled mochi rolled in sesame seeds. The crunchy outer layer gives way to a soft, chewy layer with a sweet bean paste center. These aren’t very sweet and are mildly flavored, but are truly delicious, and great when you’re not looking for an overtly sweet dessert.

Though most commonly called jin deui, in different regions of China, they’re also known as matuan, ma yuan, and jen dai. They’re buchi or butsi in the Philippines.

Mochi treats like jin deui are especially popular during Chinese New Year, which began on Sunday. Since you’re going to want to eat the entire batch yourself, here’s a “fun” fact to ward off those would-be mochi-stealers: many people die every New Year by choking on mochi. I’m serious.

You can think of them as Chinese donuts; feel free to fill them with whatever you like. Traditionally, they’re filled with lotus paste, but black bean paste and azuki bean paste are common (and delicious!) as well.

Jin Deui (Sesame Seed Balls)

yields 10 large or 20 small balls

1½ c glutinous rice flour
¼ + 2 tbsp light brown sugar
½ c water
sweet red bean paste or lotus paste
½ c sesame seeds
cold water

Pour sesame seeds into a shallow bowl. Fill a small bowl with cold water.

In a small saucepan, boil ½ c water. Add brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Pour glutinous rice flour into a medium bowl; make a well, and pour in liquid mixture. Stir with a fork until dough comes together. Knead for 1-2 minutes, until dough is smooth. Add a little extra boiling water if needed, but take care not to let dough get sticky.

Pinch off a portion of dough and roll into a ball (1½” for smaller balls, or the size of a golf-ball for larger ones). Make a well in the ball with your finger; place about a teaspoon of bean paste inside. Seal the dough around the opening, being careful not to let paste seep out (this may take a little practice; try pinching the seam shut and rolling it into a ball again, and feel free to use extra water as needed). Dip ball into bowl of cold water and roll in sesame seeds to coat. Set aside and repeat until all dough has been used.

In a deep fryer, bring oil to 375°. Drop a couple of balls into the oil, rotating them regularly so they cook evenly. After a few minutes, the balls will rise to the top of the oil. Using a spatula or chopsticks, hold the balls under the oil (it helps to trap them against the side of your deep fryer) for another 3-5 minutes (depending on size). Cooking them on the longer side is preferable, as long as you don’t burn the outsides. If the inner dough is soft and raw, increase the frying time. Repeat in small batches until all balls have been fried. Serve at room temperature.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 10:29 am and is filed under Desserts, Gluten-Free, Holiday, Hors D'oeuvres, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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