Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Cantonese · Chinese

Jian dui (sesame balls)

Vegetarian

煎堆 · jiān duī

Golden, hollow balls of glutinous rice dough rolled in sesame seeds and deep-fried until crisp outside, chewy inside, around a sweet red-bean filling — a dim sum favourite.

Jian dui (sesame balls) is a Cantonese sweet from China, ready in about 1 hour 5 minutes and made with glutinous rice flour, sweet red bean paste and sesame seeds. It serves 16 and is rated advanced to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of golden sesame balls, freshly baked and presented in paper cups, showcasing their appetizing texture.
Photo: neilstha firman / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
40 min
Cook
25 min
Total
1 h 5 min
Serves
16
Level
Advanced
Calories
150

Method

  1. Step 1

    Dissolve the sugar (opens in a new tab) in the hot water, pour into the flour and mix, then knead into a smooth, soft dough.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Divide the red bean paste into 16 balls. Flatten 16 pieces of dough into cups, wrap a ball of paste in each and roll smooth.

    • 20 min

  3. Step 3

    Dip each ball briefly in water and roll in sesame seeds (opens in a new tab), pressing so they stick firmly.

    • 8 min

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oil to 150 °C. Fry in batches for 8–10 minutes, pressing them gently against the side of the wok (opens in a new tab) with a spoon as they float — this makes them expand. Raise the heat to 170 °C for the last minute to colour. Drain on paper.

    Food safety: Use a deep, heavy pan no more than a third full of oil, keep a lid nearby and never leave hot oil unattended. Loose sesame can pop — stand back.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
China · Commonly attributedRecorded in China since at least the Tang dynasty; today strongly associated with Cantonese dim sum and Lunar New Year.Also popular in Hong Kong, Vietnam, MalaysiaMore food from China
Dish
Snack · Dessert · Sweets & confectionery · Dumplings
Cooking method
Deep-fried
Taste
nutty, sweet
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Glutinous rice flour · Sweet red bean paste · Sesame seeds · Sugar
Techniques
Deep-frying · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains: Sesamefrom sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

150 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 50 g · recipe makes 16

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 63%
  • Fat 31%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy150 kcal299 kcal
Protein2.3 g4.6 g
Carbohydrate23.7 g47.4 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars6.9 g13.8 g
Fibre——
Fat5.2 g10.4 g
Saturated fat0.6 g1.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium28 mg56 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
50 mg
Calcium
54 mg
Iron
0.9 mg
Magnesium
27 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
19 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Glutinous rice flour: White rice flour (FDC 169714) used as a stand-in; glutinous rice flour has a near-identical macronutrient profile.
  • Sweet red bean paste: Canned sweetened adzuki beans (FDC 173729) used as a stand-in; home-made or bought anko is usually a little drier and sweeter.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Storage

  • Best eaten warm on the day; they toughen as they cool.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like