Black date paste is a special element in many Chinese snacks and desserts. It got a very special earthy, smoky flavor that no other things could imitate. Haven't tried it yet? Here's how to make it with only 5 ingredients.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Soaking3 hourshrs
Total Time3 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Course: 醬料
Cuisine: Chinese, 亞洲
Keyword: 10 minutes or less, 7 ingredients or less, Asian recipe, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan
Soak both dates in 270 ml of water for 3-6 hours. This way, the dates will puff up and get soft.
Remove the pits in the dates. I know it's kind of a lot of work, but trust me this is the fussiest work in this recipe. Just play your favorite songs and it will pass!
Then, add the pitted Chinese dates and the soaking water to a blender. Blend until mostly smooth. If your blend has a hard time blending, add a dash of water to help. The resulting mixture should be very thick.
Pour the mixture through a sieve into a non-stick pan to get a smooth paste. I like to use a silicone spatula for this step.
Add the sugar and maltose to the paste. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Add oil. Keep cooking and stirring until the oil is well incorporate and the paste thickens. You can test by gently touching the paste with your finger (be careful, it's hot) and it should not stick to your finger, at least not very much. The paste will get more solid and stiff as it cools down.
Let it cool and it's ready for use.**
Notes
*I use grapeseed oil this time. Any natural oil will be fine, like sunflower seed oil.
**If it gets too hard/stiff, reheat the paste with some water and stir to mix it up.
Storage: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or 3-4 months in the freezer.