Gato zinzi

INGREDIENTS 

500 grams glutinous rice flour
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
300 ml boiling water
1 cup sweet red bean paste
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 litre peanut oil for frying

METHOD

Add the sugar to the boiling water in a bowl and stir until completely dissolved. Put the rice flour in a mixing bowl and gradually add the sugar water. Mix together until well blended.

Dust your hands with some rice flour and using pieces of the dough, form balls the size of golf balls. Put aside. Use 1 teaspoon of red bean paste at a time and form smaller balls. Put aside.

Using both thumbs and both hands, punch a hole into the rice balls and shape it into cup like containers. Place one red bean ball into the rice flour cup and carefully close the rice flour dough over the red bean paste ball. Using your hands, roll the closed balls into well rounded balls again. Roll each ball in the sesame seeds until it is completely covered with sesame seeds. Put aside. Repeat with the remaining rice balls.

Heat the peanut oil in a deep frying pan over medium high heat. Deep fry in batches the sesame seed covered rice flour balls (with the red bean paste inside). When the sesame seeds turn light golden and the balls start to float, gently press each ball against the side of the frying pan until it increases in size (approximately three times) and the sesame seeds turn golden brown.

Remove from the frying pan and place on absorbent kitchen towel paper. Allow oil to drain off.

Serve warm and enjoy.