This super easy-to-make Best 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, Ube Latte, or Ube Donut Holes!
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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 recipe 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!
What is Ube Halaya?
Ube halaya is a sweet, creamy Filipino dessert made from boiled and mashed purple yam (ube), mixed with sweetened milk and butter. It has a vibrant purple color and a rich, nutty flavor.
Substitutions
- Store-Bought vs. Homemade: You can use store-bought ube jam or make your own from scratch.
- Flour: If you don't have glutinous rice flour, you can use regular rice flour, but the texture may be slightly different.
Variations
- Fillings: Experiment with different sweet fillings like kamote (sweet potato), monggo (mung beans), chocolate, custard, banana with cinnamon, or mozzarella cheese.
- Coatings: Instead of sesame seeds, try coating the buchi with crushed nuts, coconut flakes, or breadcrumbs for a different texture and flavor.
Storage
- Uncooked Buchi: Arrange the balls in a single layer on a baking sheet, wrap them tightly with plastic film, and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Leftovers: Place them in a container or resealable bag and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Top Tips
- Cooking the Dough: Half-cook the glutinous rice flour in hot water to reduce deep frying time.
- Consistency: Adjust the flour in the sticky rice dough until you get the right consistency. If it's too watery, add more flour until you can knead it without it sticking to your hands.
- Frying: Use medium to low heat when frying to avoid overcooking and achieve a better result. When the buchi floats while frying, it usually means it's cooked, but keep it in a bit longer to prevent deflation. Continuously spin the balls while frying for even cooking until you are happy with the texture and color.
Ingredients
The ingredients for Best Ube Buchi were chosen for their perfect blend of textures and flavors. Glutinous rice flour gives the dough its chewiness, while sugar adds sweetness. Ube halaya provides a creamy, unique flavor, and sesame seeds add a crunchy coating. Vegetable oil is used for deep frying to make them crispy and golden brown.
Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:
- water
- sugar
- glutinous rice flour
- sesame seeds
- ube halaya
- vegetable oil
Instructions
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
Best 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
Make the Syrup:
- In a saucepan, bring 1¼ cups of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat.
Prepare the Dough:
- In a large bowl, add 3 cups of glutinous rice flour. Make a well in the center.
- Slowly pour in half of the hot sugar-water mixture, stirring until the dough is wet but not too sticky. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
Form the Balls:
- Scoop out 1-ounce portions of the dough and roll into smooth balls, free of cracks. Cover with cling film while you work.
Add the Filling:
- Using your thumb, make a small indentation in the center of each dough ball.
- Scoop ¼ teaspoon of ube halaya into the indentation.
- Pinch the dough to seal the filling, and roll again to form a smooth ball.
Coat with Sesame Seeds:
- Dip each dough ball in water, then roll it in sesame seeds until fully coated.
Fry the Balls:
- Heat vegetable oil in a pot to 325°F (160°C).
- Fry the dough balls for 5-7 minutes, moving them occasionally to prevent overcooking, until they are golden brown.
Cool and Serve:
- Transfer the fried balls to a wire rack to cool and drain excess oil. Serve and enjoy!
Maisaci says
what's the difference between Binangkal and Buchi? 🤔
Julius says
Binangkal and buchi are both delicious snacks, but they're different. Binangkal is a fried dough ball covered in sesame seeds, made with flour. Buchi is a deep-fried sticky rice ball, usually filled with sweet stuff like mung bean paste or purple yam, and also coated in sesame seeds. Hope it helps. 😊
Jack says
One of my favorites to make for parties and they freeze so easily!
Lainey says
Hi, Jack! Thank you so much for your support! We're thrilled to hear that this recipe is a favorite for your parties. If you have any other favorites from the site, we’d love to hear about them!