花生椰絲芝蔴蓉煎堆【賀年美食】Fried Sesame Seed Balls【Chinese New Year Celebration food】

大多數家庭過年過節時都有他們自己做慶節食品的傳統和方法，特別是在歡慶農曆新年期間。

Most families have their own ways and preferences when it comes to cooking traditional festival food, particularly during the celebration period of the Chinese New Year.

在中國土地上的各省各村，都有它們世代相傳下來的風俗習慣。

我父母都是原藉廣東的。媽媽一直依著她母親多年來的方法；所有賀年糕點都會預先做好，只有煎堆會在大年初一早上天仍未亮，家人還在熟睡時才起牀來炸。

Every province and every village in China has different customs and styles which have been passed down from generation to generation.

Both of my parents were of Canton origin. My mum kept tradition with her mother's life long practice; whilst she always prepared Lunar New Year food well in advance she only cooked fried sesame seed balls in the early hours of New year's day, usually before dawn.

那意念是希望在不被打擾的情况下，在新的一年開始之初把這些芝麻球炸得圓圓滿滿。圓滿象徵一家人那年的幸福和財富，所以煎堆球的形狀便是這麼重要。

我雖然沒有我媽媽執著的信念，每年我仍照著她的方法去為家人炸煎堆。想起從來她在我們五兄弟姊妹當中，只會悄悄的喚我起牀，母女二人摸黑捱冷的生火下廚；那深刻的感受，在離家萬里思鄉的日子裏，温暖的伴我渡過不少寒冬。

The idea behind this practice was the hope that the sesame seed balls would rise as round and as perfect as possible on the first day of the new year. The roundness signifies fullness and happiness in terms of the family's wealth and fortune, so the shape of the balls is considered very important.

Although I am not as superstitious as my mum, every year I still cook for my family the way she did all her life. The fact that she only allowed me to help her among my siblings has always made me treat this sweet snack with many special sentiments.

為了今年的餡料有新口味。我沒有用蓮蓉、豆沙、棗蓉、花生酥或番薯蓉。我自己配搭：用花生、芝麻、椰絲和糖，用攪拌機附設的小粉碎機，將全部材料打成醬狀，成為自製的「花生椰絲芝蔴蓉煎堆」。

I wanted to create a new tasty filling this year for a change. Instead of the usual paste made from red bean, lotus seeds, red dates, peanut candies, or sweet potatoes etc.; I used blended roasted peanuts, mixed with desiccated coconuts, toasted sesame seeds and sugar, placing them all in the small grinding device of the blender, I processed the ingredients until they resembled peanut butter, before using the paste as a filling.

花生椰絲芝蔴蓉煎堆《賀年美食》

餡料材料：

• 已烤無鹽連殼花生 6 oz / 180g  (各大超級市塲有售)
• 芝麻 3oz / 80g 用白鍋烘香
• 椰絲 2oz / 50g
• 砂糖 3oz / 80g

餡料做法：

1. 花生去殼去衣(非常容易)，先用攪拌機附設的小粉碎機 grinder 把花生分次磨末。
2. 把已磨成末的花生與芝麻、椰絲、砂糖同置大碗中拌勻，分數次放進小粉碎機內打磨成花生醬似的「花生椰絲芝蔴蓉」餡。

Fried Sesame Seed Balls《Chinese New Year Celebration Food》

Ingredients for the filling:

• 6oz / 80g unsalted roasted monkey nuts ( you can buy them from supermarkets )
• 3oz / 80g sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan over low heat
• 2oz / 50g desiccated coconuts
• 30z / 80g sugar

Method:

1. Peel the shells and remove the skins from the monkey nuts ( very easily ), use the small grinding device which came with the blender to grind the nuts until they became crumbs, grind in batches.
2. Put the peanut crumbs, toasted sesame seeds, desiccated coconuts and sugar in a large bowl, mix everything together and put a small amount of the ingredients in the small grinder in a few successions  to blend until the mixture resemble peanut butter, leave to one side.

煎堆材料：

(做 16 個)

• 糯米粉 3 杯 ( 用 250 ml 容量的杯計算 )
• 黄片糖 1 條半 ( 4oz / 110g )
• 熱水 1 1/2 杯
• 白芝麻 1 - 1 1/2 杯
  
  
  炸油適量
  水 1 小碟用沾手搓麵團用
  竹筷子和鋼杓
  鋼篩子

煎堆做法：

1. 熱水與糖攪勻至糖完全溶化待涼後，先用其中之 1 杯糖水加入大碗內已篩過的糯米粉，然後逐漸加餘下的 1/4 杯糖水揉合成光滑且軟硬適度的麵糰，桌上灑粉，將麵糰放桌上揉成長條，分切成 16 塊。繼而用乾粉塗手心以防黏貼。 
2. 每小塊糯米糰包入一小匙餡料揉成圓球狀，滾上芝麻，輕搓圓球使芝麻固定，手心塗乾粉然後再繼續，每一個麵糰都如是。
3. 炸油略燒熱，先放進一小塊糯米糰，如糰邊起泡並浮起，即是溫度適中，可放入糯米球，用中火炸至呈金黃色且球脹大(約  15 分鐘) 即可撈上篩子晾油後，置鋪了廚紙的大碟上
   吸油。
   
   

Fried Sesame Balls ingredients:

( make 16 )

• 3 cup glutinous rice flour ( I used 250ml measure cup )
• 4 oz / 110g brown sugar
• 1 1/2 hot water
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup white sesame seeds 
• oil for frying
• a small plate of water for helping to shape and form the dough
• A pair of bamboo or wooden chopsticks 
• A metal sieve and a metal slotted spoon

Method:

1. Dissolve the sugar with the hot water and let it cool down, then add one cup of the sugared water into the sieved glutinous rice flour; gradually add rest of the water as you go.  Mix and knead the dough till it's soft and smooth and can hold its shape. Place the dough on a  floured table, gently roll the dough into a long shape, cut into 16 small pieces.  
2. Put a teaspoonful of the peanut filling into a small piece of dough, wrap the filling inside and rub the rice flour ball together to form a small round shape. Roll the round ball onto the sesame seeds tray and cover it well with the sesame seeds. Pat both hands with dry flour and carry on again to finish making the rest of the sesame balls.
3. Heat oil with medium heat, when dropped a small piece of dough in oil and it starts to have bubbles rising up, then the oil is ready. Lower 8 of the balls into the oil , turn and deep fry them for about 15 minutes until they're all round, golden and risen. Lift them up onto the metal sieve, drain and leave on a plate with kitchen paper to absorb extra oil. Then proceed to finish frying the rest of the sesame balls.

包進這新款自製的「花生椰絲芝蔴蓉煎堆」，吃進口裏，嚐到的酥脆黏軟，甘香甜滑，真是回味不盡！

The sweet and toasty flavour of peanut, coconut and sesame seeds in this homemade filling lingers on your taste buds for you to savour the flavour, long after you've devoured it.