The Sesame Balls are a favourite snack among Malaysians. Soft on the inside, chewy on the outside and coupled with the aromatic sesame seeds, it is no wonder so many people love them. However, making them involves quite a bit of work. To lighten the work load, the processes of making them can be broken down into 2. We can make the filling first and then freeze them up until the time when we need them.
Making the Fillings
Ingredients:
- 200 g purple sweet potatoes (already skinned and cut into cubes)
- 2 pandan leaves, cut into 6 inches long
- 50 g of castor sugar (may add more)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 100 ml water
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Method:
- Put the purple sweet potatoes onto a metal plate with the pandan leaves. Put the plate into a steamer and steam until the sweet potatoes are soft. (It will take about 25-30 minutes depending on the cut-size of the sweet potatoes.)
- While waiting for the sweet potatoes to soften, combine the sugar, salt, glutinous rice flour and water in a bowl. Stir to melt the sugar and to mix all the ingredients.
- When the sweet potatoes have softened, mashed them as fine as possible.
- Add the mashed sweet potatoes into the sugar mixture. Mix to combine them well. (Taste a bit of the mixture. Add more sugar if you want it to be sweeter.)
- Pour the mixture into a sieve and using a spatula press the mixture through the sieve. This will ensure that all the fibers from the sweet potatoes and any impurities are removed and that we obtain the smoothest paste possible.
- Transfer the paste into a non-stick pan. Add cooking oil into it.
- Cook the paste. Keep on stirring and turning until we have a smooth and shiny surface.
- Remove the paste from the pan and let it cool down completely.
- Divide the paste into 10 pieces.
- Roll each piece up into a ball and put it onto an oiled plate.
- Repeat until all the pieces have been rolled up.
- Cover the plate with a cling wrap until they are needed.
- Note: You can make the paste very much in advance. Wrap them up in the cling wrap and freeze them. When you need to use them, bring it out to thaw to room temperature.
Making the Skin
Ingredients:
- 125 g glutinous rice flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp castor sugar
- 125 ml boiling water
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- Measure glutinous rice flour into a mixing bowl.
- Add the baking powder and castor sugar.
- Mix the rice flour, baking powder and sugar.
- Add the boiling water slowly, stirring all the while. If the dough is too dry, add more water.
- Add the oil.
- By now the dough should have cooled down. Start kneading by hand until you have a smooth dough.
- Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 10 pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and place it onto a greased plate. (It is important that you grease the plate well or the dough will stick onto it.)
- Repeat until all the dough has been rolled up.
- Cover the plate with a cling wrap.
Assembly
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp of glutinous rice flour.
- 4 tbsp of water
- 100 g sesame seeds, slightly browned in a wok without oil
- Cooking oil for frying
Method:
- Put the glutinous rice flour into a small bowl.
- Add water into the bowl and stir to get glutinous rice solution.
- Put the sesame seeds into a small bowl.
- Take a piece of the dough ball.
- Flatten the dough ball in your palm.
- Put a sweet potato ball on the dough and slowly cover up the sweet potato ball with the dough. Then roll it into a ball with your two palms.
- Put the ball into the glutinous rice flour solution. Roll the ball so that every part is covered.
- Transfer the ball into the bowl with sesame seeds.
- Cover the ball with sesame seeds completely with spoon.
- Take out the sesame ball and roll it in between your palm to ensure that the seeds stick onto the ball.
- Place it onto a greased plate.
- Repeat until all have been done.
- Heat wok with cooking oil.
- When the oil is hot, put the sesame balls into the wok. Fry them until they turn golden brown.
- Remove them onto a wire mesh to let the oil drip.
- Place the sesame balls onto a serving plate.