Tri-Colored Autumn Rice Balls

Ingredients

• 3 cups prepared steamed sweet rice
• ¼ cup toasted black sesame seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup smooth Japanese bean paste (koshi-an), chilled
• ½ cup roasted soybean powder (kinako) or toasted ground pecans

Method

1. Mix sesame seeds and sugar in a small bowl.
2. Moisten your hands with water and divide warm rice into 12 equal portions.
3. Shape 4 portions into balls. Moisten a clean dish towel and squeeze it dry.
4. Place 2½ tablespoons bean paste on towel; pat into a 4-inch circle.
5. Place 1 rice ball in the centre of the bean paste circle and use towel to mould bean paste around the rice ball.
6. Repeat this 3 more times, using another ½ cup of bean paste and the other 3 rice balls.
7. Place these on a nice serving tray. Flatten the remaining eight rice portions.
8. Form the remaining bean paste into 8 balls (about 2 teaspoons per ball). Place a bean paste ball in the centre of each piece of flattened rice and shape the rice around it.
9. Mould these stuffed rice balls into oval shapes. Roll 4 ovals in the sesame-sugar mixture. Roll the other 4 balls in the roasted soybean powder. Add these to the serving tray.