Our black sesame paste recipe adds a nutty, bold, earthy flavour to any dish. Whether you make a sweet or savoury paste, its versatile base flavour lets it shine.
Kurogoma has a more potent and nuttier flavour than its white sesame cousin. Unlike white sesame seeds, the outer hull of the kurogoma seed is intact, making the seeds crunchy.
Our black sesame paste recipe will show you how to make both a sweet and savoury version of this filling. We've seen many people end up with a sandier, drier texture after following other recipes. So, we'll give you some tips on how to avoid this and what to do.
Jump to:
Black Sesame Paste Ingredients
There are only a few simple ingredients in black sesame paste:
- Black sesame seeds
- White sugar (for sweetness) and honey (optional) or
- Sesame oil (for savoury)
Black Sesame Seeds
High-quality seeds will be fleshier, darker and not flat or thin. These will create a paste that's naturally smooth, silky and pasty. However, if the seeds are a drier type and do not release a lot of oil, you will get a drier and sandier paste.
If this happens, you can add some extra sesame oil to make it into a smooth and silkier paste. However, this will vary depending on the batch of seeds. For example, once had to add 9 tablespoon of sesame oil to 100 g of black sesame seeds to make the smooth paste. Meanwhile, on another occasion, we only added 5 tablespoon of oil to get the same texture.
Alternatively, you can add melted butter in ½ - 1 tablespoon increments to add texture and richness to your paste.
Your best bet for buying black sesame seeds is at a Japanese or Chinese market. Some larger grocery stores will stock them in their international aisles, but it's not common.
Tools
You will need a fairly good food processor with sharp blades to fully grind the sesame and release the oils. From our experience, just using the basic blender that's used for making juices won't work.
If you appreciate the traditional method, you can use a mortar and pestle. However, we generally don't recommend it as it's too time-consuming. Traditional Japanese mortar and pestles are called the Suribachi and Surikogi. The beauty of our recipe is that it's simple and requires few kitchen tools.
Black Sesame Paste Recipe
Ingredients
Black Sesame Paste for sweet dishes:
- 100 g black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 3 tablespoon honey optional
- 5 tablespoon sesame oil
Black sesame paste for savoury dishes:
- 100 g black sesame seeds
- 5 tablespoon sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
- Pour the black sesame seeds into an ungreased pan. Roast them over medium heat until there is a solid, nutty sesame aroma. Sesame seeds burn easily, so stir frequently and closely watch the pan.
- Put the roasted seeds into the blender or food processor and begin grinding. When the seeds start releasing their oils, pause the grinding. Scrape the seeds from the sides and the bottom of the blender or processor, then grind again. Repeat this 4 to 5 times. If, on the 5th time, you don't see the blended seeds getting any oilier or smoother, then you may have a drier batch of sesame seeds. In this case, consider adding more sesame oil.
- When the seeds are finely ground and moist from the natural oils, add the honey or sesame oil and process again to combine the ingredients.
- Process until the seeds and honey or oil are pasty and slightly liquid. Pour your black sesame seed paste into a clean, sterilised jar.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimate.
Black Sesame Paste Uses
Kurogoma paste's uses are limited only by your imagination. Japanese chefs use it in baked and steamed desserts such as cakes, pudding, and dumplings. You can even find it in delicious ice cream.
Alternatively, the Chinese use it to fill traditional desserts like tang yuan and mooncakes. A delightful use for this paste is in a Chinese black sesame soup dish. This soup is consumed for breakfast, after meals, or for teatime.
If you're crunched for time and looking for a way to impress dinner guests, black sesame pudding is a straightforward dessert. It's a perfect way to end a meal with friends and family or a comforting treat after a busy day.
Whether you're planning on whipping up a dessert on the stovetop, in a steamer, or using black sesame paste for baking, you will need to start with the vital ingredient.
How to store
Black sesame paste can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to a month. If you'd like to keep it for a longer period, place it in the freezer. It will be good for up to half a year. Whether stored in the fridge or the freezer, stir it up to room temperature before using it.
Why Do We Love Black Sesame?
When most people think about sesame, images of tiny white seeds sprinkled on bagels or ground into tangy tahini will come to mind. Until a few years ago, most of the Western world didn't know about it either.
The oils in the dark-coloured grains are nutrient-dense and are high in antioxidants that prevent or slow damage to the body's cells. As a result, they are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and rich dietary fibre. That's a lot of power packed into a tiny seed.
Kurogoma plays a significant role in Japanese and Chinese folklore and Chinese traditional medicine. In addition, the soot from sesame oil lamps was an ingredient in the stick ink that created ancient Chinese calligraphic works of art. Some of these magnificent murals have survived to today.
It's in Chinese traditional medicine for ailments such as dizziness, high blood pressure, tinnitus, and even grey hair.
If you liked our recipe, don't forget to share with us your masterpiece by tagging us on Instagram @honestfoodtalks. Next up, learn how to make lotus seed paste.
Leave a Reply