Rice Snacks · FFET10269
Nuo mi ci (glutinous rice balls)
Steamed glutinous rice dough kneaded soft, wrapped around a sweet filling such as peanut sugar or red bean and rolled in coconut; a snack of Guangdong and Hong Kong.
A round white porcelain plate holds soft white glutinous rice balls made with coconut milk, coated in unsweetened desiccated coconut and cut to reveal roasted peanut filling, with wooden chopsticks resting beside the plate.
Cakes and snacks made from rice and rice flour.
Nuo mi ci is a ball of steamed glutinous rice dough, made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and water and often coconut milk, kneaded soft, wrapped around a sweet filling such as peanut sugar, red bean or sesame and dusted with desiccated coconut or starch. It is common in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, is also called zhuangyuan ci in South China, and is eaten at home, served to guests and given as a gift. The available information gives no origin or date, and no dated text was found.
What
Nuo mi ci is a soft, chewy ball of glutinous rice dough: glutinous rice flour with sugar and water, often with coconut milk, is steamed and kneaded smooth, wrapped around a sweet filling such as peanut sugar, red bean or sesame, and rolled in desiccated coconut or toasted rice flour.1,2,3,4
Where
Nuo mi ci is common in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and is a Cantonese dim sum item. Its place of origin is not established.1,3,4
How
Glutinous rice flour is mixed with wheat starch or cornstarch, sugar and coconut milk into a batter and steamed for about 20 minutes. One method cools it for 15 minutes and kneads it for 2 to 3 minutes; another chills it for about 2 hours. The dough is then filled and rolled in desiccated coconut or toasted rice flour.3,4
Why
Nuo mi ci is eaten at home, served to guests and given as a gift.1
Impact and influence
It is a common snack and gift in South China. Hong Kong versions now use fillings beyond peanut, red bean and sesame. Modern versions also include green tea and mango.1,2
No tale about this food has been found.
Grandma Li
This is a simplified home version, not the traditional restaurant method.
This is my simplified home version of nuo mi ci, filled with peanut sugar. The amounts of glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, sugar, water, coconut milk and oil, the amount of the peanut filling and the steaming time follow the former recipe, by a named author of a recipe blog who writes it as a Cantonese dim sum item. The latter recipe, from another recipe blog, uses cornstarch and a mango or red bean filling; I did not follow it and borrowed just its way of rolling the balls in desiccated coconut. I left out the pandan-scented rice flour of the former recipe, and the amount of coconut and the oil in the filling are my own home choices. The way I check that it is done is my own.
Ingredients
- Glutinous rice flour 200 g
- Wheat starch 35 g
- Sugar 40 g
- Water 180 ml
- Coconut milk 120 ml
- Neutral cooking oil 15 ml, plus 1 tablespoon for the filling
- Roasted peanuts 150 g
- Sugar for the filling 50 g
- Unsweetened desiccated coconut about 4 tablespoons, for rolling
Steps
- Crush the roasted peanuts with the filling sugar into coarse crumbs, mix in 1 tablespoon of oil, divide into 12 portions and press each firmly into a small ball. Set aside.
- In a deep heatproof dish whisk the glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, sugar, water, coconut milk and 15 ml of oil until no lumps remain.
- Cover the dish with foil and set it in a steamer over boiling water for about 20 minutes (the time comes from the former recipe). I count it as done when there is no wet batter left in the middle and the whole dough is set.
- Take it out and let it cool for about 15 minutes (from the former recipe). Oil your hands and knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces, flatten each, set a peanut sugar ball in the middle, wrap it and pinch the seam shut.
- Roll each ball in the desiccated coconut to coat. Eat them the same day.
Tips
- The author of the former recipe says the balls are meant to be eaten on the day they are made, so I make just as many as will be eaten that day.
- I keep a small bowl of oil within reach and use it on my hands for kneading and filling, so the dough does not stick.
Allergens: wheat, peanut