Japanese cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Black Sesame Pudding

A deep gray, silky pudding of black sesame paste and cream, set with agar-agar and served cold, unmolded.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 4 tbsp black sesame paste (neri goma, or tahini)
• 400 ml whole milk
• 200 ml cream
• 80 g sugar
• 4 g agar-agar (kanten)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Stir the agar-agar into the milk in a pot and let it swell for 15 min. so it will bind fully later.
2. Bring the milk to a boil while stirring and let the agar-agar boil vigorously for 2–3 min. until no more granules settle at the bottom of the pot.
3. Stir in sugar and salt, take the pot off the heat and whisk in the black sesame paste spoon by spoon until the mixture is evenly dark gray.
4. Stir in the cream and pour the mixture through a fine sieve into four molds — the sieve catches the last sesame bits and makes the pudding silky.
5. Let the molds set at room temperature for 20 min., then chill for at least 3 hrs. until the pudding is firm enough to slice.
6. Toast the black sesame dry for 2 min., loosen the puddings from the edge with a knife, unmold onto plates and serve sprinkled with the sesame.