Yields 22–24 balls

Glutinous rice flour, also known as sweet rice flour, is used mainly for desserts and dim sum snacks. It is sold in bags in Asian markets.

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup boiling water

2 ⅓ cups glutinous rice flour

1 cup sweet red bean paste

¼ cup white sesame seeds

6 cups oil for deep-frying

• Add the brown sugar to the boiling water, stirring to dissolve. Cool.

• Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl, making a well in the middle. Give the sugar/water mix a quick stir and slowly pour into the well, stirring to mix with the flour. Continue stirring until well mixed. You should have a sticky, caramel-colored dough at this point.

• Rub your hands in a bit of the rice flour so that the dough doesn't stick to them. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and shape into a ball roughly the size of a golf ball.

• Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand, then use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle. Take no more than 1 teaspoon of red bean paste, and use your hand to shape the paste into a circle. Place the paste in the indentation in the dough. Fold the dough over the paste and roll back into a ball. Continue with the remainder of the dough.

• Sprinkle the sesame seeds on a sheet of waxed paper. Roll the balls in the seeds.

• In a wok or large pot, heat 6 cups of oil to between 330–350°F. Deep-fry the sesame seed balls a few at a time, carefully pushing them against the sides of the wok when they float to the top. The sesame balls are cooked when they expand to approximately 3 times their size and turn golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.