Version from Philippines
Masi — Philippines
Masi is a Cebu sweet of glutinous rice balls filled with roasted peanuts and muscovado sugar, boiled until they float and wrapped in banana leaves.
- 35 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 6
- Servings
- Medium
- Difficulty
Masi, also spelled maci or macy, is a Filipino sweet from Cebu made of glutinous rice balls filled with a mixture of chopped roasted peanuts and muscovado or brown sugar. The dough is prepared from sweetened galapong, ground and soaked glutinous rice, shaped by hand around a small portion of filling.
It is reported from Cebu in the Philippines, where it is sold wrapped in banana leaves at markets and from home kitchens, and is related to similar rice-ball sweets found among neighboring communities, including the Tagalog mache and the Kapampangan moche.
To prepare masi, the sweetened glutinous rice dough is rolled into small balls, each stuffed with a pinch of the peanut and muscovado filling and sealed closed, then dropped into boiling water and cooked until they rise to the surface, a sign that the dough has cooked through; they may also be steamed instead of boiled.
What distinguishes masi is its filling of roasted peanuts and muscovado sugar rather than the bean paste used in some related rice balls, and the option to vary the filling with chocolate or peanut butter or to enrich the dough with coconut milk for a creamier result, all while keeping the same basic boiled or steamed technique.
Preparation
Mix the glutinous rice flour with the water, coconut milk, sugar and a pinch of salt into a soft dough.
Combine the chopped peanuts with the muscovado sugar to make the filling.
Pinch off small portions of dough and flatten them in your palm.
Place a little filling in the center of each and seal the dough around it into a ball.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and drop in the balls.
Cook until the balls float to the surface, then lift them out with a slotted spoon.
Wrap the warm balls in banana leaves and serve.
