Easy Chinese Sesame Paste Recipe (Zhi Ma Jiang, 芝麻酱)
A rich, nutty and aromatic paste made from toasted sesame seeds blended with oil.
Servings: 1 large jar (about 360ml)
Ingredients
- 250 g hulled white sesame seeds
- 150 ml neutral oil e.g. groundnut, vegetable, sunflower
- 30 ml sesame oil
- ½ tsp flaky salt
Instructions
- Start by roasting your sesame seeds. Place a non-stick pan on a medium-high heat and, when hot, add all the sesame seeds. Toast the seeds, moving them about regularly with a spoon. You should hear a bit of sizzling and popping after a few minutes - keep a close eye and keep moving them with a spoon at this point, as they can burn quite quickly if ignored. Once the seeds have darkened slightly and smell toasty (it took me about 5 minutes to reach this point), take them off the heat to cool for a minute or two.
- Once the seeds have cooled slightly, tip them into a food processor and blend on the highest setting until you can see that most of the seeds have broken up. Then with the motor still running, slowly drizzle in the neutral oil. It should incorporate and begin to form a smooth, oily paste.
- Once all of the neutral oil has been added, boost the sesame flavour and season by adding in the sesame oil and salt.
- Give one final blend to incorporate and then taste for seasoning and consistency. The paste should be slightly salty and strongly aromatic from the sesame. The consistency is personal preference. My favourite bowl of Taiwanese cold noodles had a slightly rustic texture, but if you want it smoother, just run the motor for a bit longer.
- Pour the final paste into a clean jar (preferably sterilized) and keep refrigerated. Under these conditions, the paste should last for at least a month (most likely longer - but always check before using!).