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Enjoy a delicious dessert that’s not too sweet and cooked simply in the air fryer!
These chewy sesame balls stuffed with purple sweet potato are decadent, fun to eat, and a lighter, simpler take on traditional Cantonese sesame balls. Traditionally, sesame balls are deep-fried, but you can skip that entire process and use the air fryer, still achieving an airy, crisp sesame ball. They are also usually filled with sweetened red bean paste, but because I love Okinawan purple sweet potatoes, I had to create my own version using these nutritious potatoes. Purple sweet potatoes, particularly Okinawan sweet potatoes, are among the most nutritious foods and are often associated with the Blue Zone diet, where many centenarians live!
For this recipe, I do recommend Okinawan sweet potatoes for its rich, creamy texture and vibrant color. These sweet potatoes can be found in local or chain East Asian grocery stores or specialty health grocers. If you are unable to find Okinawan sweet potatoes, you may consider using Stokes purple sweet potatoes or purple Majesty potatoes.
This dessert is made of glutinous rice flour, flour made from short-grain glutinous rice and is high in starch, giving food a chewy texture. It is commonly used in East and Southeast Asian cuisines to make desserts and entrees.
Do I need special equipment to make these sesame balls?
For this recipe, you will need a steamer and an air fryer. Below is the exact equipment I used:
Sweet Potato Sesame Balls (Air Fryer)
Description
Crispy and chewy sesame balls stuffed with sweetened purple sweet potato paste are delicious and nutty.
Ingredients
For Filling
For Dough
Instructions
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Peel the purple sweet potato and cut them into small cubes. Place the cubed potatoes on a plate or directly into a steamer lined with steamer paper and steam on high heat for 15 minutes.
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Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork and stir in the liquid sweetener. Set aside.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar, and boiling water. Mix the dough.
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Add in oil and mix and knead until the dough reaches a play-doh consistency.
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Lightly sprinkle additional rice flour onto a clean surface and separate the dough into two halves.
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Roll each half into a log that is approximately 2 cm. thick.
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Cut each log into 7 pieces to yield 14 total pieces.
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Flatten one piece with your hands, leaving more dough in the middle. Scoop a small portion of the sweet potato paste (~1 teaspoon) in the middle (Don't overfill).
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Fold the dough edges towards the middle and seal the dough. You can form the sesame ball into a ball or flat round shape. Repeat this process to make 14 total balls.
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Brush the balls with water on all sides and roll them in sesame seeds.
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Brush the air fryer tray with oil and place the sesame balls in the air fryer.
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Air fry the sesame balls at 350 °F for 13-14 minutes, flipping halfway.
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Enjoy immediately!
Nutrition Facts
Servings 7
Serving Size 2 sesame balls
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 178kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 4.7g8%
- Sodium 3mg1%
- Total Carbohydrate 29g10%
- Dietary Fiber 1.3g6%
- Sugars 10g
- Protein 3g6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Store cooked or uncooked sesame balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
