Stuffed sesame balls

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 250 g flour (glutinous rice flour)
• 250 g spice paste (lotus paste), sweet
• 50 g white sesame seeds
• 1 liter oil, for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Zhi Ma Quiu (cooking class recipe)

Mix the glutinous rice flour with 100 ml of hot water until a smooth dough forms. Then let it cool for about 10 minutes and knead the dough until elastic. Form the dough into a log about 4 cm in diameter. Cut into 10 roughly equal pieces and cover with a damp cloth. Using your hands, shape each piece of dough into a disk about 8 cm in diameter, making the edges slightly thinner than the center. Place 1 teaspoon of lotus paste in the center of each disk and carefully seal the edges around the filling. Form into balls between your hands. Press together any cracks that appear in the dough. Place sesame seeds on a plate. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Moisten the balls with water, then roll them in sesame seeds to cover them all over. Carefully place the balls in the oil and fry over medium heat for about 3 minutes until golden brown, pressing down gently with a wooden spoon. Be careful, they may splatter! The heat will cause the balls to expand. Remove them with a slotted spoon before they burst. Variation: You can also use sweet bean paste instead of lotus paste for the filling.