Tanni’s second dessert is Loh Mei Chi. It is a dough filled with red bean paste. In my home country, Loh Mei Chi is often sold in open market for breakfast or in night market as snack. It is usually filled with finely chopped peanuts and sugar mixture. There is also another version with no filing but coated with finely chopped peanuts and with a hint of sesame oil.

I simply love the texture of this dessert. It is soft and chewy at the same time. If you filled it with the peanut and sugar filing, it will be crunchy as well.

Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for chewier dough but with the addition of the cornstarch, a white layer developed on top when using the microwaving method)
- a couple drops of oil
- red bean paste
Click on the link below for the instructions.
Instructions
You can make homemade red bean paste by soaking the red bean overnight or at least few hours. To speed up the cooking, microwave the red bean with some water for 10 minutes. Then, steam the red bean until soft. Another way is to boil the soaked red bean until soft. Add some honey and sugar to sweeten the red bean paste. Roll the red bean paste into a small ball, about one cm in diameter. |
Dissolve the sugar with some hot water. Topped up the water to one cup and add to the flour and cornstarch mixture and mix well. Add in a couple of drops of oil. To add flavour to the Loh Mei Chi, you may add in two teaspoons of green tea powder or five tablespoons of black sesame powder into the flour/cornstarch mixture. |
Microwave the mixture in the microwave for 5 to 7 minutes depending on the strength of the microwave. Check the consistency of the dough at 5 minutes and add 30 seconds at a time to get to the right consistency. Do not over cook the dough or else it will be tough.Alternatively, you can steam the mixture for 15 minutes. |
Prepare some cooked dry glutinous rice flour by baking it in a 300F oven for 5 minutes. This is for coating the sticky dough. Place a tablespoon of the dough on the cooked glutinous rice flour using a lightly oiled spoon as the dough is very sticky. Try to flatten the dough a bit. |
Place a red bean paste ball in the center of the dough and wrapped it with the dough to form a ball. |
Dust off the excess flour and served it in a small paper cup. |
Tanni, thank you for sharing this recipe and I will certainly try it at home.
Yum yum… they looks yummy. I was thinking to make this sometime soon 🙂
Awww, I love small cute balls filled with red bean paste. 🙂
These look awesome. You should consider posting on mygrub.net
Have you ever tried stuffing them with chopped peanuts and sugar? I wonder how difficult that might be since you can’t shape the filling into a ball…
Hi Karen, I have never try stuffing with chopped peanuts and sugar but those are my favourite snacks from the morning market found in Malaysia.
The shape is the same actually :D.
I always stuff it with peanuts and sugar and coat it with coconut rasps..
Only I’m trying to figure out why the store bought lo mei chi’s skin will stay soft the next day and mine will not? Somehow it becomes dry..
Do you know the trick Suanne?
Have you ever tried making ice cream loh mei chi? (Love it!) I can’t figure it out in my head because if you freeze the loh mei chi dough, it will get hard. It must be a different kind of dough. How do they do it?
Hiii..
I made my lo mai chi, coated with coconut.. on my blog :-D. I added the oil.. the dough stays softer..very nice
Oh, looks like Japanese mochi! I never knew Chinese had this too!
hello Suanne, yr site is awesome! I’ve made the loh mei chi sucessfully by following yr instructions. I’ve never had any success until I found yr receipe. I stuffed them with ground peanuts and sugar. Many many thank yous. Kung Hei Fatt Choy!!
Hi Suanne,
Thanks for sharing this recipe of loh mai chi. I’m wondering, would black sesame paste also work? And if so, do you know where I can find it around the Vancouver area?
Thanks so much!
Hi Carol,
You might be able to find sesame paste in Chinese groceries but I have never look for it and therefore not sure which one carries it.
You can make your own black sesame paste by toasting the black sesame seeds first until fragrant. Grind the toasted seeds. Cook the same amount of ground sesame, sugar and butter in a pan on medium low heat until it forms a thick paste.
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