This super easy-to-make Ube Buchi is a deep-fried sesame ball made of glutinous rice with sweet ube jam filling. It’s a delicious Filipino dessert or snack that’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside!
Love Ube flavored desserts? Try my Easy Ube Puto, Ube Biko, or Ube Donut Holes!
What is Ube Buchi?
Buchi or Butsi is a favorite Filipino dessert or snack that is made of glutinous rice flour stuffed with sweet fillings, rolled in sesame seeds then deep-fried to deliciousness. In the United States, it is known as sesame balls. It originated in China where it is known as Jian Dui.
This round pastry was a popular imperial palace food in Chang’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Due to the settlement of Chinese people in the Philippines for more than a hundred years, the integration of Chinese cuisine into local dishes has made buchi popular and a favorite.
It is usually served as a dessert in Chinese restaurants all over the country, like the popular fast-food chain – Chowking! They are also sold by street food vendors and peddlers as an afternoon snack.
The original buchi has a sweet red mung bean filling but nowadays, there are many variations of it. In this recipe, you will learn how to cook buchi with ube halaya (purple yam jam) filling which makes a sweet, crispy and sticky rice dessert or snack!
Tips and Procedures:
- You can use store-bought ube jam or make your own from scratch.
- Don’t overfill your dough with ube halaya or other sweet fillings.
- Sweet filling options: Kamote (sweet potato), monggo (mung beans), chocolate, custard, banana with cinnamon, and mozzarella cheese
- Half-cook the glutinous rice flour in hot water so that you don’t need to spend much time deep frying the buchi.
- In making the sticky rice dough, adjust the flour as needed until you achieve the right consistency. If it’s too watery, then add more flour. You should be able to knead it without sticking it to your hands.
- Use medium to low heat when frying to avoid overcooking it and for a better end result.
- When the buchi floats on top while frying, it generally means it is cooked. However, keep it on a bit longer if you want to prevent it from deflating later on.
- Make sure to continuously spin the balls while frying for even cooking until you are satisfied with the texture and color.
- Storage: To store uncooked ube buchi, arrange the balls in a single layer on a baking sheet, wrap them tightly with plastic film, then keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. For leftovers, put them in a container or resealable bag then place them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Make Ube Buchi:
Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:
- water
- sugar
- glutinous rice flour
- sesame seeds
- ube halaya
- vegetable oil
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add water, and sugar and bring the mixture to a boil, allowing the sugar to dissolve, then turn off the heat.
In a bowl, add glutinous rice flour and create a well in the center slowly add half of the hot water-sugar mixture. Stir to combine until you reach the consistency of wet but not overly sticky. rest for 15 minutes:
Scoop out 1 ounce of dough and form it into a ball. Continue rolling until the ball is smooth without cracks. Place in a rack and cover with a cling film:
Using your thumb, make an indention at the center of the dough and scoop out a quarter teaspoon of ube halaya and place it at the center of the dough. Then gather the edges of the dough around the filling and pinch to seal:
Roll the dough repeatedly until a smooth ball form with no opening. Place sesame seeds on a plate. Gently dip the balls into a bowl of water, then roll the moist dough balls in the sesame seeds. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and fillings:
In a pot, heat the oil until it reaches 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the dough balls until golden brown for 5-7 minutes:
Move the Buchi from time to time to prevent overcooking. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool and drain excess oil:
Tadaaah! Serve and enjoy these delicious purple yam sesame balls as dessert or snack in any season. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Reheat the buchi in a toaster oven, air fryer, or oven at 325 F for about 5 minutes or until they are crispy or they puff up again.
It’s a boiled and mashed ube (purple yam) mixed with sweetened milk and butter.
You can find ube in an Asian food store and traditional ube-based foods in most specialty Filipino dessert shops or Filipino restaurants.
Ube Buchi
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1 ¼ cups sesame seeds
- ½ cup ube halaya
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium high heat, add water, sugar and bring the mixture to a boil allowing the sugar to dissolve, then turn off the heat.
- In a bowl, add glutinous rice flour and create a well in the center and slowly add half of the hot water-sugar mixture.
- Stir to combine until you reach the consistency of wet but not overly sticky. rest for 15 minutes.
- Scoop out 1-ounce of dough and form it into a ball.
- Continue rolling until the ball is smooth without cracks.
- Place in a rack and cover with a cling film.
- Using your thumb, make an indention at the center of the dough and scoop out a quarter teaspoon of ube halaya and place it at the center of the dough. Then gather the edges of the dough around the filling and pinch to seal.
- Roll the dough repeatedly until a smooth ball forms with no opening.
- Place sesame seeds on a plate.
- Gently dip the balls into a bowl of water, then roll the moist dough balls in the sesame seeds.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough and fillings.
- In a pot, heat the oil until it reaches 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fry the dough balls until golden brown for 5-7 minutes.
- Move the Buchi from time to time to prevent overcooking.
- Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool and drain excess oil.
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