Chinese Fried Sesame Seed Balls (Jian Dui)

Here’s what you need to know about this festive dessert and my recipe for sesame seed balls, including how to make the dough, the bean paste, and how to put these one-biters together!

Read on and see the tools, pots, and pans you’ll need, the ingredient description, and a detailed explanation to make the best sesame balls ever. Let’s get started!

Among all the fantastic sweets in the Chinese repertoire, my favorite might just be the Chinese fried sesame seed balls or Jian Dui. Comforting and homey but also sophisticated. These pretty balls are authentic bits of heaven! 

This is my favorite takeout dessert! I used to live near a marketplace with a Chinese take-out inside a grocery store. After shopping, I always order sesame seed balls along with egg fried rice, teriyaki chicken, and Chinese dumplings.

What Are Chinese Sesame Balls?

Fried sesame balls are a popular treat usually made to commemorate the Lunar New Year, celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. This tasty dessert is fantastic all year long, though, and it always turns any reunion into a party.

Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these beauties are made with sticky rice flour and are filled with either lotus seed paste or, my favorite, black bean paste.

There’s nothing like authentic sesame balls! These fried goodies are a traditional Chinese dessert and a common breakfast item — they’re also fantastic grab-and-go snacks to carry around to school or work. 

Tools to Make Sesame Balls

Making sesame balls is easy but laborious. After all, you must make the bean paste, and the glutinous rice flour dough and then combine them to make the balls. Then you must coat them with sesame seeds and fry them. To make the process easier, make sure you have the following tools and items in hand. 

1. A small pot or container to soak the red beans. 
2. A pot or saucepan to bring the beans to a boil. We’re also using it to simmer the bean paste until thick.
3. A kitchen blender to turn the beans into a paste. 
4. Measuring cups and spoons to measure all the ingredients and make an indention of the dough balls. 
5. A mixing bowl to allow the paste to cool down to room temperature. 
6. A second pot to make a simple syrup to sweeten the dough.
7. A second mixing bowl to incorporate the simple syrup with the glutinous rice flour.
8. A rubber spatula to fold the dough. 
9. Plastic wrap to cover our dough. 
10. A clean, flat surface to roll the sesame balls. 
11. A small plate to coat the balls with sesame seeds. 
12. A frying pan to fry the sesame balls.
13. A serving platter to present your finished sesame balls. 
14. Some paper towels and parchment paper.

Main Ingredients

Unlike most pastry balls made around the world, what makes the Chinese version so unique is the ingredients. Here are the essential elements in this sesame balls recipe. 

Glutinous rice flour. This unique, fine flour was traditionally milled with a stone. Of course, modern versions now exist. Thanks to the flour’s powdery texture and stickiness, when you combine the flour with water in a ratio of around 3:1, sugar, and just a touch of oil, you get a smooth, malleable dough.

Red beans. They’re the heart and soul of many sweet Asian treats. Also called red mung beans, these often-red legumes are not sweet at all, but they’re compatible with sugar. 

Sesame seeds. They are unique in the world of seeds for their high oil content. It’s the oil and that lovely crunch you get from every seed that makes them so attractive!

Sugar. Red beans are starchy but not sweet at all; you must cook them and combine them with granulated sugar to form a sweet paste. The glutinous flour dough in this recipe also needs a bit of sweetness, and that’s what makes the bready core so delicious!

Cooking oil. These Chinese sesame balls are deep-fried, so you’ll need cooking oil, enough to fry the balls in a frying pan with at least three inches of oil. We’re also adding just a splash of oil to the glutinous flour dough to give it a glossy look and protect it from drying. 

How to Make Red Bean Paste

Many East Asian, Chinese, and Japanese desserts are flavored with red bean paste. And although you can get it ready to use at specialty stores, there’s nothing like a homemade batch of the sweet paste!

• To make red bean paste, you must start with dried red beans. For the recipe below, I use one cup of red beans, which is enough to fill around twenty sesame balls. To make red bean paste, soak the beans overnight to unfold their starches. Then, rinse them and bring them to a boil with twice the amount of water, in this case, two cups. 

• Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer the beans for 20-30 minutes. Drain the beans and blend them. You might need to add a splash of water if the blender gets stuck. 

• Once blended to smoothness, transfer the blended beans to a pan and add sugar. I use half a cup of sugar per cup of beans. Cook until thick and let it cool until manageable. Now you can make many desserts, from mooncakes to pastries! We’re using the paste to form the core of our sesame balls. 

• To make sesame balls, divide the bean paste into portions and form balls. Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the sesame balls. 

How to Make Glutinous Rice Flour Dough 

The glutinous rice flour dough is perhaps the most crucial element in a sesame roll recipe. The texture must be just right to get fluffy buns with a crispy golden crust. Here’s how to make glutinous rice flour dough for sesame balls and many other Asian-inspired treats.

• Glutinous flour is very fine, much finer than all-purpose flour. Still, to release its starchiness and characteristic sticky properties, you must combine it with warm water. Add just over a cup of water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Dissolve three-quarters of a cup of sugar into the water to form a light syrup. 

• Sift the glutinous flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugary water a little at a time while mixing. I use a silicone spatula so that the dough doesn’t stick. Once a smooth dough forms, I recommend adding just half a tablespoon of cooking oil to give the dough a glossy feel. The oil prevents the dough from drying as well!

• Like with all doughs, letting this one sit for at least ten minutes is important. That way, the dough relaxes and hydrates. If you are using the dough to form sesame balls, mold them with your hands over a flour-dusted surface and cover the balls with plastic film to prevent the dough from drying and cracking. 

How to Make Sesame Seed Balls

Suppose you already have the red bean paste balls chilling in the fridge, and you already rolled the glutinous rice flour balls. It’s time to assemble the sesame balls. 

• Every dough ball will have its own bean paste core, so use a measuring cup, your thumb, or the handle of a kitchen utensil to create a dimple or indention on each ball. Be careful not to pierce them through. Then, fill each dough ball with the bean paste core. Gently, close the dough balls and pinch to seal the dough. Rolling the balls one last time is a great way to guarantee an even size and shape. 

• To give the balls their characteristic sesame seed crust, moisten the sesame seeds with water. Roll the balls in the moistened sesame seeds until fully covered and set them aside. 

• Deep frying sesame seed balls is easy. Make sure you have a large enough frying pan with at least three inches of cooking oil. Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the oil reaches 350°F (176°C) and fry the balls in small batches (4-5 balls at a time). Don’t leave the frying pan unattended — instead, stir the balls often to guarantee an even cooking and the loveliest golden-brown color. 

• Remove the sesame balls from the oil and let them rest over paper towels to remove the excess oil. Be careful; these come out insanely hot! Let your new favorite treat cool down until manageable and enjoy!

Important Tips

• If the dough is hard to shape, it might need a little more water. Only when fully hydrated can you shape the dough into perfect balls. 

• There’s nothing worse than an uneven sesame seed coating, so thoroughly coat the balls. Authentic sesame balls are entirely covered with seeds without clusters and overcrowded or seedless spots.

• Although I love the red bean paste filling, try different flavor combinations. Lotus seed fillings are popular as well, but you can fill these golden balls with literally anything. Get creative here!

• Ensure the oil is hot enough, and don’t over-crowd the frying pan. Frying too many balls simultaneously can lower the oil’s temperature drastically. 

• To prevent the balls from bursting while frying, make sure you hydrate the glutinous flour and allow it to rest. The dough’s stickiness protects the balls from popping open in the frying pan.

Storage

It's best to eat them within a day of cooking but you can also store them in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. To reheat them, set your oven or airfryer to 375 degree F. Reheat them for 7 minutes.