Mugwort Rice Steaming Bun

Mugwort is a miraculous herb gifted to us by nature. As the saying goes, "Life depends on one's yang qi," and mugwort is an excellent nourisher of yang energy. Eating mugwort in spring helps dispel cold, damp, and toxic pathogens from the body while promoting the rise of yang qi. This year, there wasn’t much mugwort in my backyard, so I only picked a small handful of tender leaves and made some green rice dumplings filled with sesame and peanuts! 

Pick the tender leaves of mugwort and wash them thoroughly. 

Bring water to a boil in a pot, add half a teaspoon of baking soda, then blanch the mugwort leaves for one minute. Remove and rinse them in cold water to cool. Drain and squeeze out excess water, then transfer to a blender. Add an appropriate amount of water based on the quantity of mugwort leaves and blend into a juice. 

Pour the mugwort juice into a bowl, add an appropriate amount of glutinous rice flour and a tablespoon of cooking oil, then knead into a slightly soft dough. Let it rest for about 20 minutes. 

For the filling: Lightly toast peanuts and sesame seeds over low heat, then grind them in a blender into a coarse powder. If you prefer a sweeter taste, add some raw sugar to the filling and mix well. 

Apply a little oil on your hands to prevent sticking. Take a small portion of the dough, flatten it, add the filling, then gather and seal the edges. Gently flatten the filled dough. 

If suitable leaves are unavailable, cut baking paper into small round liners and place them in the steamer. Arrange the wrapped qing tuan in the steamer and steam for 20 minutes after the water boils. Since they are made with glutinous rice, allowing them to cool slightly will enhance their chewiness and sweetness.