• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sift & Simmer
Matcha, tea-infused baking recipes & modern Asian favourites
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Pantry
    • Matcha 101: A Beginner's Guide
    • Hojicha 101: A Beginner's Guide
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Chinese Fried Sesame Balls (Jian Dui)

    Published: Dec 22, 2022 by Michelle · 3 Comments

    Share this recipe!

    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This recipe for Chinese Fried Sesame Balls (Jian Dui) features a puffed up chewy, crunchy, crisp dough ball made from glutinous rice flour, fried until golden and studded with sesame seeds. It's enjoyed during Chinese New Year as a sign of prosperity.

    Fried sesame balls on a white plate.

    What are Chinese sesame balls?

    Chinese sesame balls are known as 煎䭔 (jian dui).

    Similar to Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Ham Sui Gok), they are deep-fried dough balls made from glutinous rice flour, studded with sesame seeds.

    As they are fried, the dough puffs up like a balloon and become crisp, crunchy, light and chewy all at the same time.

    Traditionally, they are snacks eaten during the Lunar New Year for good luck and prosperity.

    The sesame balls can be unfilled or filled with sweet red bean paste or lotus paste.

    You can find Chinese fried sesame balls served as breakfast at dim sum restaurants.

    What do they taste like?

    The Chinese sesame balls are crisp and crunchy on the exterior with a chewy interior.

    They taste slightly sweet and nutty from the sesame seeds.

    Why this recipe works

    This recipe makes a small batch of 8 fried sesame balls.

    There's no need to boil a portion of flour to make the dough.

    Nor is there any baking powder in the ingredients.

    This recipe is streamlined, with no need to dip the dough balls into water for the sesame seeds to stick.

    The sesame balls are naturally vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.

    Ingredients you'll need

    • glutinous rice flour: is different than rice flour; glutinous rice flour is made from short-grained glutinous rice, also known as sweet rice flour and has a chewy, mochi-like texture
    • granulated sugar: adds a little sweetness to the dough
    • water
    • coconut oil: melted; or vegetable oil
    • white sesame seeds: for coating the dough balls; you can use roasted or raw sesame seeds; or black sesame seeds
    • peanut oil: for frying, or any high-smoke point oil

    You can find these ingredients at Asian grocery stores or supermarkets.

    Optional filling

    You can add 5-10g of red bean paste, sweet black bean paste or lotus paste filling inside the dough.

    Note: adding filling may prevent the dough from expanding into a larger ball.

    An open fried sesame ball jian dui on a white round marble, revealing interior.

    How to make them

    Add sugar and water to a bowl to make a syrup. Stir to dissolve.

    Add glutinous rice flour.

    Add coconut oil and knead with your hands to form a smooth dough.

    Cover dough with cling wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.

    Divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls (Step 1 below).

    Place sesame seeds into a small bowl.

    Place the dough ball into the bowl with sesame seeds, cover with a 2nd bowl and tightly grip while vigorously swirling to coat the dough ball.

    Roll the dough ball between your palms to secure the sesame seeds (Step 2 below).

    Add frying oil to a pot or small saucepan.

    Place thermometer int the oil to check the temperature.

    When the hot oil reaches 120C, add in the dough balls and let them sit for 30-40 seconds, then gently stir to prevent them from sticking to the bottom (Step 3 below).

    They should sit in oil (120C) for about 10 minutes, at a low temp so the balls will expand larger.

    After 5 minutes, they should float (see Step 4 below).

    Once the balls float, begin pressing, squishing them (Step 5 below).

    Increase the heat and continue pressing the dough balls until they don't bounce back to a round shape.

    Then stop pressing and fry until golden brown (Step 6 below). At oil temp 190-200C, the exterior shell will be crisp.

    Check by tapping on the ball to see if it's crisp.

    Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

    Serve immediately.

    Step by step photos on how to make jian dui sesame balls, with number overlay.

    Chinese fried sesame balls on a white plate.

    How to store & reheat

    It's best to enjoy the fried sesame balls on the same day they are made.

    If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

    You can also freeze the jian dui sesame balls in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 1 month.

    To reheat, place the sesame balls onto a baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, until the exterior is crisp and warm.

    Expert tips & FAQs

    Tip: Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to fry in batches.

    Do the fried sesame balls contain gluten?

    No, technically they are gluten-free as glutinous rice flour does not contain wheat gluten.

    Can I make them in advance?

    Sesame balls are best enjoyed on the same day they are made.

    You can make the dough balls ahead of time.

    If frying ahead of time, warm them up in the oven prior to serving.

    Why are the sesame balls squished during frying?

    The squishing helps the dough expand larger in size, as it heats up.

    Other delicious recipes you may like

    Be sure to check out these recipes:

    Ham Sui Gok 咸水角 (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings)

    Homemade Chinese Egg Tarts

    Cantonese-Style Siu Mai 烧卖

    Rice Noodle Rolls 豬腸粉 (Chee Cheong Fun) 

    Peanut Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

    Crunchy Sesame Peanut Candy

    Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

    An open fried sesame ball jian dui on a white round marble, revealing interior.

     

    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Chinese Fried Sesame Balls (Jian Dui)

    This recipe for Chinese Fried Sesame Balls (Jian Dui) features a puffed up chewy, crunchy, crisp dough ball made from glutinous rice flour, fried until golden and studded with sesame seeds. It's enjoyed during Chinese New Year as a sign of prosperity.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Resting Time15 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Breakfast, Dim Sum, Snack
    Cuisine: Cantonese, Chinese
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 387kcal
    Author: Michelle

    For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

    Ingredients

    Sesame balls:

    • 113 g glutinous rice flour
    • 35 g granulated sugar
    • 83 ml water
    • ½ teaspoon coconut oil melted, or vegetable oil

    Coating:

    • 25 g sesame seeds white or black

    For deep-frying:

    • 3 C peanut oil or any high-smoke point oil
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    For visual key process photos, refer to the body of the post.

      Make the sesame ball dough:

      • Add sugar and water to a bowl to make a syrup. Stir to dissolve.
      • Add glutinous rice flour.
      • Add coconut oil and knead with your hands to form a smooth dough.
      • Cover dough with cling wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
      • Divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls.
      • Place sesame seeds into a small bowl.
      • Place the dough ball into the bowl with sesame seeds, cover with a 2nd bowl and tightly grip while vigorously shaking to coat the dough ball.
      • Roll the dough ball between your palms to secure the sesame seeds.
      • Frying the sesame balls:
      • Add frying oil to a pot or small saucepan.
      • Place thermometer in the oil to check the temperature.
      • When the hot oil reaches 120°C, add in the dough balls and let them sit for 30-40 seconds, then gently stir to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.
      • They should sit in oil (120°C) for about 10 minutes, at a low temp so the dough balls will expand larger.
      • After 5 minutes, they should float. Once the balls float, begin pressing on the balls, squishing them so they expand.
      • Increase the heat and continue pressing the dough balls until they don't bounce back to their round shape.
      • Stop pressing on the dough and fry until golden brown. At oil temp 190°-200°C, the exterior shell will be crisp.
      • Check by tapping on the ball to see if it's crisp.
      • Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
      • Serve immediately.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 0.3IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

      The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

      Did you try this recipe?Mention @siftandsimmer or tag #siftandsimmer!
      « Chinese Pork Jerky (Bak Kwa)
      Steamed Pompano »

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Neil

        December 23, 2022 at 5:14 am

        5 stars
        I would love to enjoy these at New Year! They look so delicious!

        Reply
      2. David @ Spiced

        December 23, 2022 at 6:08 am

        5 stars
        I was lucky to try fried sesame balls last year around New Year's - what a fun recipe! I had no idea how they were made, but this feels like something I can do here. Maybe we'll start a new tradition in our house!!

        Reply
      3. Linsey

        December 23, 2022 at 12:20 pm

        5 stars
        Love the crispy exterior and chewy texture of the Jian Dui!! I have a difficult experience of making it. With your clear description of making it, hope this is very helpful.

        Reply

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Primary Sidebar

      About Me

      My name is Michelle and Sift & Simmer is a food recipe blog featuring easy, creative and delicious recipes. I believe that the best food is made from scratch. Read More…

      Subscribe for Latest recipes

      Follow Me

      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • RSS
      • YouTube

      Popular Recipes

      Matcha Latte

      Matcha 101: A Beginner's Guide

      Matcha Mochi Croissants

      Matcha Candy Cane Popcorn

      Footer

      ↑ back to top

      About

      About

      Privacy Policy

      Newsletter

      Subscribe for the latest recipes and updates directly to your inbox!

      Contact

      Contact

      Copyright © 2017-2023 Sift & Simmer

      All images and content are copyright protected. Do not use without prior permission.