A simple and easy muah chee recipe that only takes less than 20 minutes by using a microwave. Chewy glutinous rice balls coated with crushed peanuts and sugar.
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On my month-long trip back to Malaysia in June, my best friends and I managed to carve out some time on one of the weekends to visit Penang. Aside from one morning briefly spent lazying around on the Batu Ferringhi beach, our schedule was basically just packed with food excursions.
At one of our stops, we stumbled upon an uncle selling muah chee by the side of the road. It was so good, we came back the next day to order some for our families back in KL!
Now that I’m back in Chicago, I just had to try and make some for myself. And once I found this easy method that only takes less than 20 minutes by using a microwave, it’s been a snack time staple!
Soft Muah Chee
Muah chee (or muar chee) are soft and chewy rice balls made from glutinous rice flour, tossed in a mixture of ground peanuts and sugar. It’s a popular street snack or dessert in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
The sticky dough is a bit similar to the Japanese mochi. However, in this case you don’t have to roll it out into any shape. Once the dough is coated with the peanut mixture, you can cut it into smaller pieces using a knife, scraper, or even scissors.
Ingredients
Muah Chee
- Glutinous rice flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Neutral oil/shallot oil
- Water
Peanut Mixture
- Roasted peanuts
- Roasted sesame seeds
- Sugar
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
Instructions
Peanut Mixture
- Ground roasted peanuts and sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle or in a food processor until you achieve your desired texture.
- Place on plate and add sugar. Adjust amount of sugar to taste. Mix until well combined.
Muah Chee
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Microwave for 1 minute covered then remove and stir before microwaving for another 1 minute and 30 seconds while covered (see notes).
- Stir the mixture until it’s “springy” and sticky.
- Place the mixture on the peanut mixture and coat it. Cut into small pieces with a scraper, knife or scissors and coat the pieces with the peanut mixture. Serve and enjoy!
Notes for Easy Muah Chee
- Traditionally, shallot oil is used. It gives a great flavor to the muah chee but for a quick version like this one, you can also use neutral oil.
- For shallot oil, fry thinly sliced shallot over low heat for 20-30 minutes or until the shallot has browned.
- If the muah chee mixture is still watery, microwave covered again for 30 seconds at a time.
- Serve: Best eaten immediately.
More Desserts/Snacks
- 2-Ingredient Mochi Ice Cream
- Thai Mango Sticky Rice
- Jemput-Jemput Pisang/Cekodok (Deep Fried Banana Balls)
- Apam Balik (Malaysian Pancake Turnover)
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Easy Muah Chee (Microwave)
Ingredients
Muah Chee
- 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil/shallot oil
- 1/2 cup water
Peanut Mixture
- 3/4 cup roasted peanuts
- 3 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Peanut Mixture
- Ground roasted peanuts and sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle or in a food processor until you achieve your desired texture.
- Place on plate and add sugar. Adjust amount of sugar to taste. Mix until well combined.
Muah Chee
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Microwave for 1 minute covered then remove and stir before microwaving for another 1 minute and 30 seconds while covered (see notes).
- Stir the mixture until it's "springy" and sticky.
- Place the mixture on the peanut mixture and coat it. Cut into small pieces with a scraper, knife or scissors and coat the pieces with the peanut mixture. Serve and enjoy!
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