Chocolate or Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls

Happy Chinese New Year! This year, it falls on Friday, January 31st. And it's the year of a horse, when it is "time for all people to go forward confidently in the direction of their goals and dreams". What a great advice!

When I was living in the Bronx, my parents would go to Chinatown on a weekend before or after the Chinese New Year. They always came back with bags full of food: roasted ducks, lots of fruits, especially oranges, and some sweets that came in the red box. The candied lotus seeds were my favorite sweet, which I already add to my (future) candy making adventure.

My parents would honored my late grandparents (my dad's parents) with these food. They would light the incense, wishing my grandparents a happy new year. After the incense burnt out, it was time for everyone to share the foods that were offered to my grandparents. I also received a red envelop with lucky money from my parents. The amount usually depended on my age. As I got older, I would get more cash. Lucky me!

 

I told my friend this story, and she said that it reminded her of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). I found it very interesting that even though we are from different cultures, the traditions of honoring our love ones are very similar.

I started to celebrate the Chinese New Year a little earlier this year. I baked egg custard yesterday for my kids afternoon snack. Turned out to be overly sweet for me, but my kids devoured the little tarts. Today, I decided to venture into something deep fried, sesame seed rice balls.

I made these sesame rice balls many moons ago as part of my learning to cook dim sum. They didn't turn out well. I wasn't sure why, but it might have something to do with not fully understanding the recipe's instruction. This year, I researched different recipes and decided to come up with my own version.

With that said, the sesame seed rice balls turned out much better this time. They tasted lighter and crunchier, though they weren't golden brown. The techniques and ingredients are pretty simple. Plus, no eggs, no gluten, and no dairy. It's pretty friendly allergy free sweets.

These rice balls are usually filled with red bean paste. Since Camden cannot have legumes, I made the filling using chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Afterward, he told me that he would like it plain. So I made another batch without the fillings, which was a done in a lightning speed. Taking it to the next level, I made palm sugar caramel and drizzled on top of the rice balls. Camden was right! Yummilicious!

Glutinous rice flour or sticky rice flour can be found at any Asian markets. Feel free to double or triple this recipe. I made enough just for my kids and me because (you know) fried food taste better when eaten right away. 

Chocolate Sesame Seed Rice Balls
makes 8 rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.
2. Add the cold water.
3. Knead the dough inside the bowl. NOTE: If the dough is too dry, add half of tablespoon of cold water. If the dough is too wet, add half tablespoon of flour.
4. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
5. Roll the dough into a log and cut them into 8 equal parts. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, mix together the chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Set aside.
7. Place white sesame seeds on a plate.
8. Place a cooling rack over a sheet tray. Set aside.
9. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
10. While the oil is heating up, take a dough ball and flat it with your fingers into a disk.
11. Add the filling in the middle of the dough disk. Remember, a little bit of the filling goes a long way with this bite size dessert.
12. Pinch the sides to seal. NOTE: If the filling pops out, add slightly less filling next time. You may need to reshape the dough. 
13. Squeeze the dough then roll it inside your palm to form a ball.
14. Continue with this method until all 8 rice balls are formed.
15. Roll the rice balls in the white sesame seeds. Press the seeds into the dough, so they will stick to the rice balls.
16. Drop the rice balls into the hot oil.
17. Deep fried them for 3 minutes. Stand back as the rice balls may puff up causing the oil to splatter.
18. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
19. Allow the sesame seed rice balls to cool a bit, about five minute, before serving. Remember the chocolate filling may be piping hot.

Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls
make 10 small bit rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons palm sugar
1/2 to 1 Tablespoon water

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
2. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and spices.
4. Add the cold water.
5. Knead the dough inside the bowl.
6. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
7. Roll the dough into a log, about an inch in diameter and five inches in length.
8. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on to a non stick mat.
9. Roll the dough log on to the sesame seeds, making sure that the log stays the same size.
10. Cut the log into ten equal pieces. There is no need to shape them into balls. These are bite size shapes.
11. Drop the dough into a hot oil and deep fry them for 3 minutes.
12. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
13. In another pot, heat the palm sugar and water until the mixture is bubbling.
14. Drizzle the palm sugar caramel onto the sesame rice balls. Enjoy!!!

Allergy Info: These sesame seed rice balls are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish. If you don't have legume allergy, you can fill the rice balls with red bean paste, which are sold at any Asian markets. You can also make your own by grinding cooked red beans with sugar into paste.