Chinese Rice Cake Stir Fry
(Chao Nian Gao | 炒年糕)

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Chinese Rice Cake Stir Fry (炒年糕 or chǎo niángāo) is one of my favourite ways to enjoy nian gao (年糕), a glutinous rice cake sometimes called Chinese New Year cake. It is an adventure in flavour and texture packaged into a single mouthwateringly tasty dish.

The pronunciation of the characters '年糕' sounds like 'year high', and the dish symbolises growth of income, position, children and the general promise of a better year. Hence, it is a lucky food to eat on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Depending on which Chinese region you hail from, nian gao can be enjoyed in many different ways, from steamed to boiled, baked to pan fried. Chinese rice cake stir fry is one of the most popular ways to enjoy it and is eaten throughout the year.

I love the soft, chewy and slightly sticky texture of glutinous rice cake, sort of a cross between noodles and rice (my two faves!). Paired with pork, Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, this Chinese rice cake stir fry is a complete meal in itself. When I'm in the mood for something sweet, however, I'll make this baked version!

To make Chinese rice cake stir fry, the type of nian gao used are thin and either rectangular or oval in shape. They can be found in most Chinese or Asian grocers and also in specialist shops online. They typically come vacuum packed and ready to cook, or frozen, which will need to be thawed first. Sometimes, you might find rice cakes sold as dried pieces, which first need to be soaked and reconstituted before cooking.

Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients below - it's mostly condiments! If time is short, prepare and chop everything ahead of time, and store the marinated pork in the fridge. The actual stir frying doesn't take long at all.

Whether you make this for Chinese New Year or at any other time of year, I hope you'll enjoy eating Chinese rice cake stir fry as much as I do!

To make this Chinese Rice Cake Stir Fry, you'll need:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

For the pork and marinade
250g pork, sliced into thing strips [1]
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of ground white pepper

For the remainder of the dish
Oil for cooking
450g nian gao rice cakes (年糕) [2]
350g Chinese cabbage, sliced (napa cabbage)
125g fresh shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced [3]
3 spring onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
100ml water / mushroom soaking liquid [3]
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar, to taste
Pinch of white pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
1 tsp cornflour (to thicken sauce, optional)

And here's what you'll need to do:

• Slice and marinate the pork, and set it aside whilst you prepare everything else.

• Rinse and and slice the cabbage, and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.

• Slice the spring onions and garlic, and mix together the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and sesame oil.

• Remove the rice cake from their packaging, and separate them into a bowl. Measure out the water, and have it to hand.
• Heat some oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium high heat.
• When the oil is hot, add the pork, stir fry until starting to turn brown, then add the garlic. Cook for a few more minutes until the pork is mostly brown.

• Add the mushrooms and cook until they release some of their moisture, then add the spring onions, and stir fry everything together for a minute or so.

• Add the cabbage, and continue stir frying until it starts to wilt a bit.
• Add the rice cakes on top of the pork and vegetables, and pour in the water / mushroom soaking liquid.

• Cover the contents of the wok / frying pan with a lid or sheet of foil, and steam for 3-5 minutes until the rice cakes and vegetables are soft.
• Remove the lid / foil, add the soy sauce mixture, sugar, white pepper and salt (all to taste), and stir everything again until well combined.

• If you like your sauce a bit thicker, you can add 1 tsp of cornflour.

Notes

1. Freezing the meat slightly for about 30 minutes will make it easier to cut into thin strips. I have used pork shoulder meat for a bit of texture, but you could also use pork loin.
2. If your nian gao are frozen, thaw them first before cooking, and if you are using dried nian gao, soak them according to packet instructions before cooking.
3. Feel free to use dried shiitake mushrooms here, you'll need about 25g. Soak them in boiled water for about 30 minutes before slicing, and reserve the soaking liquid to add back to the dish.

Variations to this Chinese rice cake stir fry include:

• Meat: Swap out the pork for chicken, beef or indeed, tofu, for vegetarian options.
• Mushrooms: You could use chestnut mushrooms instead of shiitake.
• Greens: Feel free to use pak choi instead of Chinese cabbage.
  
  

Chinese Rice Cake Stir Fry
(Chao Nian Gao | 炒年糕)

By Wendy | Serves 4

Chinese Rice Cake Stir Fry is one of the traditional lucky foods eaten at Chinese New Year, although it is popular to eat at any time of year.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Course: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Tags: Chinese New Year, Glutinous Rice Cake

Ingredients

For the pork and marinade
250g pork, sliced into thing strips [1]
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of ground white pepper

For the remainder of the dish
Oil for cooking
450g nian gao rice cakes (年糕) [2]
350g Chinese cabbage (napa cabbage), sliced
125g fresh shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced [3]
3 spring onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
100ml water / mushroom soaking liquid [3]
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar, to taste
Pinch of white pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
1 tsp cornflour (to thicken sauce, optional)

Method

1. Slice and marinate the pork, and set it aside whilst you prepare everything else.
2. Rinse and and slice the cabbage, and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.
3. Slice the spring onions and garlic, and mix together the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and sesame oil.
4. Remove the rice cake from their packaging, and separate them into a bowl. Measure out the water, and have it to hand.
5. Heat some oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium high heat.
6. When the oil is hot, add the pork, stir fry until starting to turn brown, then add the garlic. Cook for a few more minutes until the pork is mostly brown.
7. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release some of their moisture, then add the spring onions, and stir fry everything together for a minute or so.
8. Add the cabbage, and continue stir frying until it starts to wilt a bit.
9. Add the rice cakes on top of the pork and vegetables, and pour in the water / mushroom soaking liquid.
10. Cover the contents of the wok / frying pan with a lid or sheet of foil, and steam for 3-5 minutes until the rice cakes and vegetables are soft.
11. Remove the lid / foil, add the soy sauce mixture, sugar, white pepper and salt (all to taste), and stir everything again until well combined.
12. If you like your sauce a bit thicker, you can add 1 tsp of cornflour.

Notes

1. Freezing the meat slightly for about 30 minutes will make it easier to cut into thin strips. I have used pork shoulder meat for a bit of texture, but you could also use pork loin.
2. If your nian gao are frozen, thaw them first before cooking, and if you are using dried nian gao, soak them according to packet instructions before cooking.
3. Feel free to use dried shiitake mushrooms here, you'll need about 25g. Soak them in boiled water for about 30 minutes before slicing, and reserve the soaking liquid to add back to the dish.

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