Method
- Whisk glutinous rice flour, regular rice flour, sugar and water in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Stir in oil.
- Steam the bowl over rapidly boiling water for 25 minutes — the mixture will turn from white liquid to a thick, glossy, sticky dough. Cover the top with foil during steaming to prevent water dripping in.
- While the dough steams, prepare the coatings: in three separate bowls, mix ground black sesame, ground peanuts and (if using) kinako with equal parts powdered sugar and a pinch of salt each.
- Cool the steamed dough until just warm — about 10 minutes. Wet your hands with cold water.
- Pinch off small pieces of dough (about 25g each) with your wet hands. Roll between palms to form smooth balls. Drop each ball directly into one of the coatings and roll until thickly covered.
- Pile the coated mua chee on a plate. Eat within an hour — the dough hardens as it cools further, especially refrigerated. Serve with hot tea; the chewy mochi-like texture against the nutty coatings is the dish's pleasure.
Common questions
Can Mua Chee be made ahead?
Mua Chee is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 15 minutes.
Is Mua Chee spicy?
Mua Chee as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Mua Chee vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Mua Chee to make at home?
Mua Chee is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 30 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Mua Chee be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Mua chee — the Hokkien pronunciation of muá tsî — is the Taiwanese-Hokkien street version of mochi, eaten at night markets and at Taiwanese-Hokkien afternoon-tea breaks. The dish is sold in two forms: the soft warm form here (rolled in coatings as ordered) and the firmer mochi-cake form (sold in slices). The vendor's signature is the chopping show: cutting the warm dough into pieces with a cleaver against a wooden board, the rhythmic chop-chop sound becoming a night-market soundtrack. The Cotton Mochi from Hualien, Taiwan, is famously light and pillowy.
