Sesame Balls (Jian Dui / 煎堆)

Ingredients

• 250 g glutinous rice flour
• 30 g caster sugar
• 150 ml water, warm
• 100 g sweet potato, cooked and mashed
• 200 g lotus seed paste, or red bean paste; divided into 12 equal portions
• 100 g white sesame seeds, spread on a flat tray
• 1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. 1
   Combine the glutinous rice flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Add the mashed sweet potato, then incorporate the warm water gradually, mixing until a smooth, pliable dough forms — it should be soft but not sticky, holding its shape when pressed.
2. 2
   Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Flatten each portion in the palm of the hand into a disc roughly 7 cm across. Place one portion of lotus seed paste at the centre. Gather the dough up around the filling and pinch the seam firmly closed, then roll between both palms into a smooth sphere. There must be no gaps or thin spots at the seal — this is where the dish lives or dies: an imperfect seal allows steam to escape violently rather than inflating the ball evenly, and the ball will burst in the oil.
3. 3
   Roll each ball across the tray of sesame seeds, then press the seeds firmly all over the surface with the palms. Every seed must be embedded into the dough, not merely resting on it. The ball should show an even, dense white coat with no bare patches.
4. 4
   Heat the oil in a wok or deep saucepan to a moderate temperature — approximately 160 °C. Lower the balls in carefully in batches. Fry at this moderate heat, and periodically press each ball gently against the wall of the wok with the back of a ladle, rotating it so the pressure is applied evenly around the circumference. The balls will begin to swell; the pressing encourages uniform self-inflation. Fry until expanded to roughly twice their original diameter and pale golden.
5. 5
   Raise the oil temperature to approximately 180 °C and continue frying, turning the balls, until the exterior is a deep, even amber-gold and the sesame crust is crisp and set. Lift one ball: it should feel notably light and hollow relative to its size, and the shell should sound faintly crisp when tapped with a fingernail.
6. 6
   Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a rack or absorbent paper. Serve immediately — the contrast between the crackling sesame shell and the chewy, yielding interior is at its fullest within minutes of leaving the oil.