Chinese Fried Sesame Balls (Jian Dui)

For visual key process photos, refer to the body of the post.

Make the sesame ball dough:

1. Add sugar and water to a bowl to make a syrup. Stir to dissolve.
2. Add glutinous rice flour.
3. Add coconut oil and knead with your hands to form a smooth dough.
4. Cover dough with cling wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls.
6. Place sesame seeds into a small bowl.
7. Place the dough ball into the bowl with sesame seeds, cover with a 2nd bowl and tightly grip while vigorously shaking to coat the dough ball.
8. Roll the dough ball between your palms to secure the sesame seeds.
9. Frying the sesame balls:
10. Add frying oil to a pot or small saucepan.
11. Place thermometer in the oil to check the temperature.
12. When the hot oil reaches 120°C, add in the dough balls and let them sit for 30-40 seconds, then gently stir to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.
13. They should sit in oil (120°C) for about 10 minutes, at a low temp so the dough balls will expand larger.
14. After 5 minutes, they should float. Once the balls float, begin pressing on the balls, squishing them so they expand.
15. Increase the heat and continue pressing the dough balls until they don't bounce back to their round shape.
16. Stop pressing on the dough and fry until golden brown. At oil temp 190°-200°C, the exterior shell will be crisp.
17. Check by tapping on the ball to see if it's crisp.
18. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
19. Serve immediately.