Buchi / Sesame Seed Balls

Buchi or Butsi is a deep-fried rice flour filled with sweetened bean paste. The original Filipino buchi are plain golden-brown rice ball filled with mung (monggo) beans and fried plain without the sesame seeds. Fillings can either be kidney bean paste, purple yam, sweet potato or whatever you want. I used red beans and sesame seeds are added for a distinct taste and crunch.

Filling ingredients:

• 1 cup red beans
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Soak red beans to water overnight.
2. In a saucepan, add water and beans. Boil until beans are tender.
3. When cooked, remove excess water and mashed beans.
4. In a saucepan, add the mashed beans and sugar together, mix well.
5. Cook in a medium heat, stirring constantly until the beans absorbed all the liquid from the sugar and dries up.
6. Remove from heat, let cool.
7. Shape the filling into small balls.
8. Cover and place in the fridge while you work on the dough.

Dough ingredients:

• 1 pack (16 ounce) glutinous rice flour
• 1/2 cup of rice flour
• 2/3 cup potato flakes 
• 2/3 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, rice flour, salt, and baking powder.

2. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and water. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Add the potato flakes and stir to dissolve again. Add sugar according to desired sweetness.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the sugar mixture.

4. Using a spoon or spatula, stir to combine and then use your hands to work on a dough. Add more water if needed until you get a soft consistency. Mixture should not be dry and crackly.

5. Once the dough is of the proper consistency, form into a ball and cover with clean towel to rest for 30 minutes. Cover with a damp towel so they don't dry out.

6. Work on the cooled filling by forming into small balls.

   

7. To add the filling, flatten the glutinous rice balls. Add the rounded sweetened beans filling inside.

8. Close it and form into a ball again. Do the same to the rest of the rice ball. Cover the balls with wet towel to prevent from drying.

9. Roll each ball into the sesame seeds. If the balls dry out a bit, sprinkle water to moisten the dough to make sure that the seeds stick on the dough.

10. Reshape the ball and then proceed with the rest. Cover with a damp towel while handling them so they don't dry out.

11. Heat the oil and deep-fry on medium heat or 325 degrees F, stirring continuously

12. Cook until the sesame seed's color turns golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes).

13. Drain excess oil on a paper towel. Serve and Enjoy!