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Learn how to make Muar Chee with this easy Muar Chee recipe. Complete with gorgeous Muar Chee pictures and simple step-by-step Muar Chee recipe.
Muah Chee is a popular street snack in Malaysia. This soft, chewy sweet treat is made from glutinous rice dough, coated in ground peanuts, sugar, and sesame seeds, and topped with crispy fried shallots. Follow this easy recipe with step-by-step instructions and beautiful photos to make your own Muar Chee at home.
Muah Chee Recipe – Homemade and Authentic
I’m very fond of Muah Chee—also spelled Muar Chee—which are Malaysian sticky glutinous rice balls coated with sugar, ground roasted peanuts, and sesame seeds.
This popular sweet snack is commonly found in Penang and other parts of Malaysia, often sold by roadside stalls and mobile hawkers at pasar malam (local night markets). In recent years, it can also be found in modern hawker centers and food trucks.
In Penang, its common Chinese name is 麻芝 (pronounced má zhī in Mandarin), while in other regions of Malaysia, it is also sold as 麻糍 (má cí ). The setup is simple: steamed glutinous rice dough and a ground peanut mixture in a container. When you order it, the vendor cuts a small piece of the rice dough with a dough cutter, transfers it into the peanut mixture, dices it into small cubes, and coats them with the peanut and sugar mix.
You can top Muah Chee with fried shallots, but it’s optional. A small pack of Muar Chee is one of the cheapest desserts in Malaysia, and it’s my absolute favorite. It’s so tasty and satisfying that I could have it every day.
Biting into these soft, chewy peanut-coated nuggets instantly transports me back to my childhood, when I’d eagerly wait for the Muar Chee hawker to ride by my childhood home. His loud call of “Muar Chee, Muar Chee” and the cheerful tooting of his bike horn would echo through the neighborhood, evoking a wave of excitement and nostalgia, even up to these days.
This homemade, authentic, tried-and-true recipe was developed after being away from home in the USA. Last weekend, I picked up a pack of glutinous rice and decided to make Penang Muar Chee at home. Surprisingly, it was quite easy to make and the end result turned out great and absolutely delicious!
Here’s my Muah Chee recipe—give it a try at home, it’s a wonderful treat. If you’re interested in other Malaysian recipes, feel free to explore my other recipes: Curry Puff, Yam Cake (Or Kuih) and Chai Kueh.
Muah Chee Origin
I believe Muah Chee originated from China, from a dessert called 糖不甩 (táng bù shuǎi). I have had the Chinese version in Southern China, particularly in Fujian province, which may also explain the similar dessert found in Taiwan.
Muah Chee vs. Mochi
Though the names sound similar and they share a similar texture and appearance, Japanese mochi is often filled with sweet fillings like red bean paste and has a smooth, elastic texture. Mochi is usually coated with cornstarch, potato starch, or roasted soybean flour, which is powdery and pale yellow in color.
Recipe Variations
As time has passed, the recipe has evolved and varies among street vendors. Nowadays, you can find pandan and black sesame-flavored Muah Chee at night markets. However, I’m still partial to the original peanut-coated nuggets served in a small paper tray.
Muah Chee Ingredients
How To Make Muah Chee
Secret Ingredients
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 575 calories per serving.
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Muah Chee (Muar Chee)
Ingredients
Shallot Oil
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 5 cloves small shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
Muar Chee Dough
- 2 1/4 cups glutinous rice flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 1/2 cups water
Roasted Peanuts Mixture
- 2 cups ground roasted peanuts, 8 oz
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Garnishing
- 2 tablespoons fried shallot crisps
Instructions
- Shallot Oil: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat, strain the oil, and discard the shallots.
- Muar Chee Dough: Brush the pan with shallot oil to grease it. Mix glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, water, and the remaining shallot oil until smooth. Pour the batter into the greased pan and steam over high heat for 10–15 minutes, or until fully cooked in the center. Let cool.
- Roasted Peanut Mixture: In a deep dish, mix the ground roasted peanuts, sugar, and sesame seeds until well combined. Cut a small piece of the Muar Chee dough rice using a a dough chopper. Drop it into the mixture and cut the dough into smaller cubes. Coat the cubes well with the mixture, transfer each piece of Muar Chee out and serve immediately with some fried shallot crisps.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use Corn Flour in place of Tapioca flour?
Please follow the recipe.
Hi…may i know this mua chee step can i use same way as i make tang yuan? Make square shape and boil like tang yuan .than mix with roasted peanut sugar
Hi there this looks great and I will try it. I was in Penang for a couple months 20 years ago and remember ordering from the street vendors something that resembled a small tortilla that was cooked right in front of me and then they would sprinkle on a mixture of ground peanuts and sugar then fold it and serve it. It was incredible. Would you happen to have a recipe for that as well or know what it is called so I can search it on google? Thanks for the great site and recipes… Also going to try your beef satay. Yummm
Hi Mark, that’s called “apam balik”. You can google for the recipe. Pretty easy to make.
Hi Mark, that’s called “apam balik”. You can google for the recipe. Pretty easy to make.