Taiwanese Peanut Rice Milk (花生米漿)
This thick, creamy, and nutty drink is lightly sweetened and can be enjoyed warm or cold! This Taiwanese peanut rice milk is a simple, nutritious drink perfect for breakfast or any time of day.
Taiwanese peanut rice milk (花生米漿, hua sheng mi jiang) is a delicious drink that is relatively quick and easy to make (minus the soaking time). It is a common Taiwanese food often served during breakfast alongside other Taiwanese breakfast staples such as shao bing, youtiao (Chinese cruller), salty soy milk, and dan bing. Its creamy texture and rich, nutty flavor make it a filling drink and a great pick me up for the morning. However, this peanut rice milk can also be enjoyed as a snack at any time of day.
Peanut rice milk only has four ingredients: peanuts, rice, sugar, and water. So, there is lots of room for variation. Many different types of this drink are sold at Asian groceries in a powdered form. The mixture tends to contain more ingredients for better nutrition and complex flavor. Some of the possibilities include:
- Seeds: sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, lotus seeds
- Nuts: peanuts, almonds, walnuts
- Grains: oats, white/brown rice, wheat germ, pearl barley, buckwheat, rye
- Regular/black soybeans, chickpeas, mung beans, yam, etc.
Once ground up into a fine powder and packaged into individual portions, the powdered mixture is simply mixed with some hot water for a nourishing drink.
So, you could consider Taiwanese peanut rice milk as a close relative of the Korean multigrain drink Misugaru. The misugaru drink is also sold as a multigrain powder that is added to water to make a quick drink.
Tips and Tricks
- Depending on how you would like your drink to taste, you can toast the peanuts longer or shorter. Toasting longer will give the drinker both a deeper/nuttier flavor and deeper color. (In the pictures above, I toasted the peanuts for a shorter amount of time, which you can tell by the paler color).
- Be careful not to let your peanuts burn, especially when toasting in a hot pan. Stir constantly to avoid burnt spots
- Adding less than the total amount of water in the blender can help to speed up the blending process. Also, make sure you blend long enough so that the mixture has no large granules.
- Some people choose to strain the blended mixture to remove large granules. I do not think this is necessary, as straining makes the drink less rich.
- When cooking the drink, stir constantly to ensure that any solids at the bottom of the pan will not burn.
Taiwanese Peanut Rice Milk (花生米漿)
Ingredients
- 1 cups raw peanuts without skin
- 1/4 cup rice uncooked
- 6 cups water
- 3 tbsp sugar adjust to taste
Instructions
- Soak the rice in a generous amount of water overnight or for a minimum of six hours.
- Toast the peanuts. You can either toast them in a dry pan, while stirring constantly until the peanuts are golden brown, or toast them in the oven. Remove and set aside to cool. Note 1
- Add the toasted peanuts and soaked rice to a blender. Add 2 cups of water and blend until smooth. Note 2
- Add the blended mixture to a pot along with the remaining four cups of water. Note 3
- Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Note 4
- Add in the sugar and adjust the sweetness to taste.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- Depending on how you would like your drink to taste, you can toast the peanuts longer or shorter. (In the pictures above, I did it for a shorter amount of time). Be careful not to let your peanuts burn, especially in a hot pan.
- Adding less than the total amount of water can help to speed up the blending process. Make sure you blend enough so that the mixture has no large granules.
- Some people choose to strain the blended mixture to remove large granules. I do not think this is necessary, as straining makes the drink less rich.
- Stirring constantly will ensure any solids at the bottom of the pan will not burn.
How to Make Taiwanese Peanut Rice Milk
Begin by soaking 1/4 cup of raw rice in a generous amount of water for a minimum of six hours or overnight.
Toast the peanuts either on the stove or in an oven. If toasting in a pan, place the pan over medium-low to medium heat and stir constantly until the peanuts are golden brown. If toast in an oven, bake the peanuts at 350 F for roughly 15-20 minutes. Remove the peanuts and set them aside to cool. **With either method, be careful not to burn the peanuts.
Next, drain and rinse the soaked rice. Add the rice, the toasted peanuts, and 2 cups of water to a blender. Blend everything until completely smooth. Blending may take a few minutes, depending on your blender.
Add the blended mixture to a pot along with the remaining four cups of water. Turn on the heat, and stir the mixture constantly until it begins to thicken and boil/bubble. Finally, add the sugar and adjust the sweetness to your liking. If you would like your drink thinner, you can also add some water.
Serve this 米漿 (mi jiang drink) warm or cold!
