Zeen Duy - Sesame Ball

Sesame balls (Zeen Duy) can be found in many Chinese bakeries. Chinese believe if you eat sesame balls, your fortunes will expand like the dough expands when it fries.The Sesame Ball is very light and is practically filled with air on the insides. This is a plain sesame ball but it is also common for them to have small ammounts of filling such as red bean paste. In these, the flavor of sesame seed and the crunchiness of the fried sesame seed are highlighted.

Yield:

Makes about 12

Ingredients

1. 1 package of glutinous rice flour (227g)
2. 2 slabs of brown sugar (peen tong)
3. 1 - 1.5 cups of hot water
4. White sesame seeds for coating
5. 1 to 2 tablespoons of sake (optional)
6. oil for frying

Directions

1. Heat the water in a pan over medium low heat.
2. Dissolve the brown sugar slabs in the hot water. Set aside to let it cool.
3. In a large bowl, add the glutinous rice flour. Slowly add in the brown sugar syrup. You might not need all of the flour as you do not want the dough to end up too dry.
4. Using your hands, mix and knead the dough as you add the syrup. Add in the sake while kneading the dough. If it gets too wet, just add in more glutinous rice flour.
5. Form the dough into golf ball size pieces. Roll the the ball in sesame seeds to coat the surface completely. Roll the ball in your palms lightly to press in the sesame seeds. Repeat until all the balls are formed.
6. Heat a big wok of oil at medium low heat. Gently drop the sesame ball into the oil for frying. Do not crowd the wok. The sesame balls have to be fried at medium low heat to ensure the dough is cooked thoroughly without burning the outside.The secret in making the sesame balls that expand while frying is to gently press the balls once they float to the surface. The balls will expand as they are gently rotated and pressed. When the balls double in size, you may increase the heat to medium high and fry until golden brown.Place the sesame balls on plate lined with paper towels.

Notes