My son shares my love of muah chee, a chewy treat similar to Japanese mochi. We rarely make it out of the Japanese market without a package of mochi, which is expensive to buy but cheap to make at home. This easy muah chee recipe requires only 4 ingredients and can be made in one bowl and cooked in a rice cooker or Instant Pot. My kids have been making this since age 4!
For those with peanut allergies, this recipe calls for Kinako, a Japanese roasted soybean flour commonly used to dust warabi mochi or desserts in Japan. It has a light nutty flavor and is slightly sweet. You can find Kinako at most Japanese Markets.
My grandmother had a sweet tooth but due to health problems, her sugar intake was restricted. I have fond memories of us sneaking out to get muah chee from the street vendor. If you find yourself in Taipei, make sure to check out Beitou’s Market (北投市場) where you can find the best muah chee made fresh daily. Each piece is made to order with your choice of filling and toppings. All of them are my favorite. I like to use kinako powder in place of ground peanuts since it’s naturally a little sweet without adding additional sugar to the recipe.
This muah chee is so easy, you just mix all the ingredients and steam in a rice cooker or Instant Pot. Once it’s done, you must use chopsticks to mix to improve the texture. Then turn the muah chee out onto the prepared cutting board and dust with kinako.
Easy Muah Chee Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot or rice cooker
- small mixing bowl
- large cutting board
Ingredients
- 100 grams Mochiko – glutinous rice flour or 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP
- 50 grams sugar or 1/4 cup
- 2/3 cup cold water
- Kinako or ground peanuts with sugar
Instructions
Rice Cooker Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour into rice cooker pot. Cook on regular rice setting. (If you have a Zojirushi, I prefer the umami setting)
Instant Pot Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl until sugar dissolves.
- Pour one cup of water into the Instant Pot. Place a steaming rack in the pot and the mixing bowl onto the steaming rack. Cook on the rice setting.
Preparing Cooked Muah Chee
- Muah Chee should be slightly translucent when cooked. If it’s white then continue to steam it. Once the batter is ready, use a pair of chopsticks or rice paddle and stir for a couple minutes. This will give the muah chee better texture. (The Muah Chee will be very hot so this step is for adults only.)
- Allow the Muah Chee to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Sprinkle your kinako onto a large cutting board. Using a silicone spatula or rice paddle, turn out the muah chee onto the kinako. If it's too soft or sticky, let it cool a few more minutes.
- Sprinkle more Kinako over the top. Cut into cubes with a knife or scissors. Toss with more Kinako to keep the Muah Chee from sticking together.
- Best eaten the same day.
Notes
**Kinako is Japanese roasted soybean flour commonly used as a dessert topping in Japan. It has a light nutty flavor and is slightly sweet. You can find Kinako at any Japanese Market. You can replace kinako with sesame seeds, coconut flakes, or ground peanuts and sugar.
