Muachi - Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls

Left (top and bottom) : Black sesame seeds paste coated in toasted dessicated coconut
Right (top and bottom) : Peanut praline coated in toasted crushed peanuts

I love eating these glutinous rice balls either boiled in syrup stock flavoured with pandan or made into these QQ balls.

Steamed and mashed sweet potatoes is used in the skin hence the orange hue (all natural no colourings used). The skin is still soft after keeping for 3 days.

Skin ingredients:

1 sweet potato (doesn't matter what size)

glutinous flour

Method:

1. Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and steam it on high heat for about 10 minutes or until soft enough to be mashed using a fork.

2. Add glutinous flour to the mashed sweet potatoes while still hot. Continue to add while kneading the dough until the mixture can be formed into a ball and does not stick to the hand. Add water if dough is too dry.

3. Cover the dough with a cling film and set aside until cool.

Black sesame paste filling:

100g black sesame

sugar (please put according to your taste)

20g butter, melted

Method:

1. Wash the black sesame, dry on kitchen towel.

2. Heat up non-stick saucepan on low heat and dry toast the black sesame until you can hear the sesame making 'pop pop' sound (stir the sesame seeds every now and then to ensure even distribution of heat).

3. Remove from heat and let them cool down before whizzing in food processor together with sugar until fine and powdery like. Add in melted butter, combine well and refrigerate until required (also makes it easier to mould)

4. When paste has harden in the fridge, form them into small balls so it's easier to wrap into the skin.

Peanut praline filling (I never measure make as much as you like):

Peanuts (with skin on), washed and dry on kitchen towel

Sugar
Melted butter

Method:

1. Roast peanut in a preheated oven at 170°C for 12 to 14 minutes.

2. When peanut has cooled, deskin by rubbing in between your fingers.

3. Take a portion of peanuts and whizz them until fine (do not overdo or else you'll end up with peanut butter!). Put aside.

4. The rest of peanuts whizz them until coarse like.

5. Return to the pan and sprinkle over the sugar and stir fry until sugar dissolves and become paste like, add in melted butter.

6. Refrigerate till hard enough to form into balls.

To form into balls:

1. Roll the skin dough into longish strip and divide and cut them according to the size you want.

2. Flatten the divided dough and put 1 ball of filling on top and shape into balls.

3. Bring a pan of water to boil and cook the glutinous rice balls until they float to the top. Remove and quickly roll in dessicated coconut or peanuts. Let them cool completely before storing in airtight container.