|
Time: 1 hour, with prepared filling
Ingredients
Sesame ball dough
2 cups (16 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5 ¼ ounces taro, generously peeled and cut
into 1/2-inch slices crosswise
1 1-pound bag glutinous rice flour
Grapeseed, corn, or canola oil for deep-frying
1 cup white sesame seeds
Date Filling
1 pound dried dates
½ cup maltose sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
|
Method
To prepare date filling, puree all ingredients
in a food processor until smooth, scraping bowl
as necessary. Refrigerate until use.
Put the sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl
of an electric mixer. Mix well and set aside. Prepare
a steamer, with the water at a rolling boil. Add
the taro and steam until very soft, 10 minutes; it
will fall apart if poked with a knife. Immediately
transfer the taro to the electric mixer bowl with
the sugar mixture and beat with the paddle
attachment on medium speed until the sugar dissolves
and the mixture is pasty.
Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Turn the
mixer speed to low and add the glutinous rice flour.
When the mixture is crumbly, add the boiling water
all at once. Continue beating the dough until it
is soft and only slightly sticky. Squeeze the dough
into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate
until completely cooled. When cool, shape the dough into a log 1-inch in
diameter and cut the log into 2-inch lengths. Flatten
each piece of dough with your palm into a circle,
4-inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Put 1 tablespoon
of the Drunken Fig Filling into the center of a circle,
then bring the edges together and pinch shut. Pinch
off the excess dough at the two end points, then
roll the filled dumpling into a ball. Repeat with
the remaining dough circles and filling.
Fill a deep, heavy saucepan (at least 6 inches wide)
with oil to a depth of at least 4-inches. Bring to
300 degrees . Fill a shallow dish with water. Roll
sesame balls in the water, just enough to moisten,
then
roll in the sesame seeds. Using a slotted spoon,
carefully lower half of the coated balls into the
oil and cook until they float, about 5 minutes. Do
not disturb the balls at all when they cook. Carefully
remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat
with the remaining balls. Serve immediately or at
room temperature.
Makes 25 2-inch balls
Chef’s Quote
Sesame balls are classic
dim sum—unadulterated and oh-so-good. In the yum
cha (dim sum) culture, these sticky-sweet treats
are eaten between savory bites throughout the meal.
Traditionally, the dough is made only with glutinous
rice flour, which is quite sticky and will leave
you searching for a toothpick. I’ve added taro to
make the dough more tender, more tasty, and a lovely
shade of lavender. The contrast between the crisp
sesame seed coating and soft chewy dough is remarkable.
I have also substituted flavorful dates for the traditional
lotus seed or red bean fillings. In Chinese cooking,
sesame seeds are never deeply browned—their white
color symbolizes purity. Be sure to start with untoasted
white sesame seeds to achieve a light golden color
when the balls are done.
Most fried desserts are best eaten right away, but these stay delicious and crisp
even at room temperature.
Recipe Adapted from “An Exotic Finish” By Pichet Ong
(Morrow-Harper Collins, 2007)
|
