I’m enjoying my 2nd bowl of black sesame paste while sharing this recipe. Black sesame paste is a popular dessert among the chinese where you can buy a small bowl for about $3.50 or more for one scoop/one small bowl at most dessert stalls then realise you cannot have enough of it. Some stalls did not strain them properly resulting in a rough texture or they are too watery. If you ever had a home-made black sesame paste, probably you’ll never want to buy any pre-packed from grocery shops or dessert stalls anymore. Home-made gives you the most authentic, aromatic and flavor in every scoop that you’ll never forget =D

Sesame is one of the oldest seeds known to man. Thought to have originated in India or Africa, the first written record of sesame dates back to 3,000 BC. It’s unclear when sesame first found its way to China. Some sources claim the Chinese were using sesame oil in their lamps as far back as 5,000 years ago, while others state sesame seeds were introduced into China about 2,000 years ago. It’s probably true that the ancients first relied on the sesame plant to provide oil, and only later discovered its value as a food source.

Sesame seeds were one of the first crops processed for oil as well as one of the earliest condiments. The addition of sesame seeds to baked goods can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times from an ancient tomb painting that depicts a baker adding the seeds to bread dough.

Black sesame is well-known for remedy for grey hair , consisting a good source of hair nourishing vitamins and minerals such as copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin B1, amino acids, selenium, melanin, and dietary fiber. Sesame seeds rank highest in cholesterol-lowering phytosterols of nearly all nuts, seeds, legumes and grains, therefore protecting the heart by lowering the cholesterol and blood pressure levels. With the high amount of antioxidants and anti-aging benefits, you need not worry about getting old too soon.

It prevents cancer! Sesame seeds contain anti-cancer compounds including phytic acid, magnesium and phytosterols. And the phytosterol content of sesame (especially the black sesame seeds)  is the highest of any commonly consumed seeds and nuts.

There are just too many benefits of black sesame that it probably takes pages to list them all. So everybody says, eat more black sesame if you want black hair but obviously you need to turn these seeds into something delicious first right?

Previously i made a post on Black Sesame Chiffon recipe which makes use of black sesame powder to make this. The residue after straining can be used for baking cakes and cookies too, all you need to do is to dry them in the oven before keeping it in the fridge.

Let’s see how black sesame paste is made.

Black Sesame Paste

Ingredients:

• 60 gm white sesame seeds
• 60 gm black sesame seeds
• 60 gm glutinous rice flour
• 800ml + 250ml of water
• 120g rock sugar (preferably to reduce to 100gm)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Rinse sesame seeds over running water. Mix 250ml of water into the glutinous rice flour and set aside.
   

   
2. Toast the sesame seeds in a pan till dry and fragrant. You will know it’s ready when it starts “popping”. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
3. Put the seeds into a blender and process till fine.
4. Add water into the blender, only enough to make it into a paste. Continue to process at high speed until it becomes smooth. For my amazing blender it takes 30secs to 1 min.
   

   

   
5. Next, sieve the sesame paste over your pot for a smoother texture. Remove the residue, blend with water again and repeat for the second time.
   

   
6. Add the rest of water into the pot together with salt, oil and glutinous rice water.
   

   

   
7. Cook till thicken and serve. The colour is a little light when cooked but it’ll darkens after a while. Store the rest in the fridge for a cool dessert or half the recipe if it’s too much portion.

   

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Orh Kueh Kiao is a taiwanese snack that is similar to our steam taro cake, the ingredient used are almost similar but however the method used to cook these two is very different.
The pre-cook state of our yam local cake is to steam them in a somewhat liquid form whereas for orh kueh kiao we shape them when in it’s dry form.  The steaming process can be a little troublesome but the end product can give u a sense of accomplishment.

Orh kueh kiao recipe uses glutinous rice flour which gives this snack a very Q and chewy texture. It can be eaten as a meal or as a snack which can be very nutritious and delicious. It can be eaten in 2 ways, to consume right after steaming or pan- fry in low fire after steaming to give the skin a little crisp and yet Q and chewy on the inside.

I’m always curious in exploring in different types of food recipes. When i first came upon this recipe i thought, how could i not eaten this in Taiwan before after so many trips to taiwan?! I’m so eager to find out how it taste like so let’s get to work!

Ingredients:

• 230g glutinous rice flour
• 70g rice flour
• 130g yam cubed
• 80g minced meat (marinate with a little salt)
• 10g dried shrimp soaked and minced
• 3 pieces dried chinese mushroom (soaked and chopped)
• 2 tbsp fried shallots
• 200g water
• Canola oil (Any oil works as well)
• Dumpling leaves (cut into size)

Seasonings

• 2 tbsp dark soya sauce (Can be adjusted according to own’s preference)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp five spice powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

I never had thought to input this as a recipe this was done randomly and i did not expect the taste and flavor to wow me so i did not take much picture on it, however i will make it up again next time. So if you have any questions, feel free to drop a message here =)

Method

(Stir-fry the ingredients – to give everything a boost of fragrant)

1. Heat oil in pan with low medium heat. Fry mince meat until it turns white.
2. Add in dried shrimps, fry till fragrant. Then add in mushrooms and yam pieces, give it a light fry. (Don’t worry about the yam not getting cooked, it will be during the steaming process later.)
3. Now you can add in the all the seasonings, mix them well.
4. Lastly, off the stove’s heat, add in the fried shallots and fry evenly.
5. Take out to cool in a plate/bowl.

(The flour)

1. Sift glutinous rice flour and rice flour in a bowl. Slowly add water and knead till dough comes together. There will still be some crumbly flour in your bowl.
2. Add in the stir-fried ingredients into the flour mixture, knead until everything comes together into a shape-able state. The mixture will be dry, so do not worry about that.
3. Randomly grab the dough according to your preferred size and shaped it in the shape of a cashew, then place it on the dumpling leaves. This portion shapes about 7-8 pieces depending on the size.
4. Prepare your steamer with boiling water. Place the orh kuek kiao into the steamer and steam for 20 mins and you are done!

The darker version as I added a little more dark soya sauce to give it a little more colour.

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You can also try to pan fry lightly in this stage for a different texture.

When this was done, it smells so good, but i was hesitant to try because i couldn’t imagine the taste of it. So i let my hubs try the first bite and he says Mmmmm!!!! It’s good! He could describe the texture and how it taste in the mouth and so after i tried it the next day~ It was good and i love it! I prefer the pan fried version whereas hubs preferred the steamed version.

So it’s your turn now! Try it and tell me how you feel about this dish! =D

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