Chinese Black Sesame Paste (and Powder)

A wooden scoop of Black Sesame Paste with a white plate underneath.

5 from 27 votes

Chinese Black Sesame Paste (and Powder)

Black Sesame Paste is a nutty and aromatic condiment used in many delicious Chinese and Japanese recipes, spanning both sweet and savory. Plus, with just a small modification, you can use the same recipe to make Black Sesame Powder! (Done in 15-minutes.)

Course: Dessert, Drinks, Snack

Cuisine: Cantonese, Chinese, Hong Kong, Japanese, korean

Calories: 731kcal

Author: Zen

Equipment

Blender Substitute: mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, spice grinder or food processor
Airtight Mason Jar Sterilised

Ingredients

Made with a blender

½ Cup Black Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil If using a food processor, you only need 1 Tablespoon, added after the seeds have been crushed. For a coffee grinder or spice grinder, you only need to add 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil after the seeds have been blitzed into powder. (A blender needs more to get the blades working.)
1-3 Tablespoons Brown sugar syrup Till your desired taste and consistency. Substitute: honey, golden syrup, sugar, maple syrup etc. Using different sweeteners will affect the firmness of the paste.
A Pinch of Salt Optional

Instructions

Toasting the seeds

Note: the following steps are only for non-roasted, raw seeds. If yours come roasted, just dry fry for a couple of seconds to wake up the aroma.
Slowly toast the seeds in a dry pan (without oil) on LOW heat if using a gas fire and medium-low for an induction stove.
Stir continuously (or shake the pan) for 5- 12 minutes till you smell the toasted, warm aroma of sesame. (You don't want the seeds to burn or they'll taste super bitter! If you're in a rush and use medium heat, don't stir-fry for more than 2-3 minutes.)
How to tell when the seeds are toasted
They're bigger (Raw, they're flatter.)
They have lightened slightly and turned grey.
They're more fragile and easier to crush.
You may hear some seeds pop when they're "done" but, even if you don't, I recommend switching off the fire once you smell the sesame to prevent over-toasting. (If so, add more sugar to help cover the bitterness.)

Blending the seeds

You may want to let your seeds cool slightly before blending with the sesame oil. If not, you'll (literally) see them smoking in the blender after blitzing for just a bit!
Tip: don't let it cool in the pan as the heat from the pan will continue heating the seeds and may burn them.
Add the sesame oil now as most blenders need some help to get going and the oil helps the seeds that fly up to the top slide back down to the blade! (If using a food processor, coffee grinder or spice grinder, you don't need to add the oil now. See "Equipment" in above post for more details.)
Blend in intervals of 5-10 seconds, allowing your motor to rest in between to prevent overheating. (Use the time to scrape down the sides. The seeds will fly all the way up to stick to the top of the cover.)
Optional: you may want to blend in a pinch of salt to enhance the nutty flavor.
You know the black sesame paste is done when it changes from a grey gritty powder to a glossy and shiny jet black puree.
Note: Don't worry about grinding till silky smooth. You can if you want, but a lot of Asian desserts use black sesame paste with some grittiness to it.
If making sweet black sesame paste: stir in the honey or syrup, to taste. You will need minimum 1 Tablespoon of honey to ½ Cup of black sesame seeds and I'd say no more than 3 Tablespoons without it becoming too sweet!

Notes

Store

2-3 weeks in a sterilised airtight jar in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.

To make black sesame powder, you just need black sesame seeds.

Don't add any oil, fat or honey! You can blend with sugar granules instead in 3-5 second intervals. Allow the seeds to totally cool before grinding or pounding. (If not, they'll release too much oil and become a sesame butter.)

Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its accuracy.

Nutrition