We’ve been making this simple stir-fry of rice cakes and napa cabbage (白菜肉丝年糕) for years, so we couldn’t believe that it still hadn’t made its way onto the blog or our cookbook! It’s a straightforward and simple one-pan dish, and a great recipe to feed a crowd.
Serve it for a satisfying lunch, a lighter dinner on its own, or as one of several dishes for a larger meal.
A Pure and Simple Rice Cake Stir-fry
The signature look of this dish is an almost glowing white appearance from the milky color of the rice cakes and the light green napa cabbage.
What are Chinese rice cakes?
In case you’re thinking of those crunchy circular rice cakes you might enjoy as a low calorie snack, we’re talking about CHINESE rice cakes here! They are chewy, usually shaped into a thin flat oval, and almost reminiscent of gnocchi. They’re naturally gluten-free, and can be stir-fried or added to soups. Find them in Chinese grocery stories in the refrigerated or frozen section.
If you’re looking for more ideas to cook rice cakes, try these recipes:
We had a little bit of a debate on how much to stay true to that pure flavor and look, but ultimately Sarah won out with the addition of oyster sauce to the recipe. With my mom in agreement, I figure sometimes it’s worth bucking tradition. It makes the sauce a slightly darker hue, adding flavor without overpowering the dish.
Aside from the oyster sauce, a lot of the flavor comes from the use of chicken stock to cook the cabbage and rice cakes. When you stir-fry the starchy rice cakes, the stock thickens up into a sauce that coats everything.
肉丝 Rou Si – Why “Shredded Pork?”
In Chinese, you’ll often see stir-fries involving shredded pieces of meat, or 肉丝 (ròu sī). It’s usually shredded pork, but you may also see 牛肉丝 (niúròu sī), or shredded beef. For example, in this beef and spicy pepper stir fry.
Having these tendrils of stir-fried meat makes for an enjoyable eating experience. There’s lots of surface area for flavoring the meat, and it’s easy to take bites with your chopsticks.
There are instructions in the recipe for prepping your meat this way, but all in all, you just need a sharp knife to cut a larger piece of meat into thin slices, and then into strips. They don’t have to be perfect!
Recipe Instructions
Prepare the pork by cutting it into thin 2- to 3-inch (5-7 cm) long slices and then julienning the slices into strips.
Transfer to a bowl, and add the water, cornstarch, light soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and white pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the napa cabbage, ginger, garlic and scallions. If your rice cakes are stashed in the freezer, take them out. If they’re vacuum sealed, open them up and break them apart if they’re stuck together. (We prefer the Chinese brands that are individually frozen and bagged loosely.)
Heat a wok over high heat until it’s just starting to smoke. Add the oil, followed by the ginger. Let cook for 30-60 seconds, until golden on the edges.
Then add the pork in one layer, and let it sear evenly. Avoid stirring it too much so it can get some color.
Add the garlic, stir fry for 30 seconds. Then add the napa cabbage and scallions. Stir-fry for a few minutes, letting the cabbage wilt down.
Add wine around the perimeter of the wok. Mix and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
Stir in the oyster sauce, and move everything to the center of the wok to create an even “bed” of vegetables and meat. Add the chicken stock and spread the rice cakes on top of the mound of cabbage.
Cover and cook for 2 minutes over high heat (3 minutes if the rice cakes are frozen). Uncover, and season with salt and white pepper.
Stir-fry everything together for 2 minutes over medium heat. The sauce will thicken and the rice cakes should be cooked through, but still have a pleasant chewiness. Plate and serve!
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Recipe
Rice Cakes with Napa Cabbage & Pork
Ingredients
For the pork & marinade (can also substitute boneless chicken thighs or breast):
- 8 ounces pork shoulder or loin
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 1/2 pounds napa cabbage (7-8 heaping, not-very-neat cups, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips)
- 1 slice ginger (⅛-inch/0.3cm thick, 2 inches/5cm long)
- 5 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped)
- 3 scallions (cut on a diagonal into 1-inch/2.5 cm pieces)
- 14-16 ounces rice cakes (packages come in varying sizes)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon clear rice wine (or Shaoxing wine)
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock (depending on how hot your stove can get; for higher BTU stoves, use up to ¾ cup chicken stock)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the pork by cutting it into thin 2- to 3-inch (5-7 cm) long slices and then julienning the slices into strips. Transfer to a bowl, and add the water, cornstarch, light soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and white pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the napa cabbage, ginger, garlic and scallions. If your rice cakes are stashed in the freezer, take them out. If they’re vacuum sealed, open them up and break them apart if they’re stuck together. (We prefer the Chinese brands that are individually frozen and bagged loosely.)
- Heat a wok over high heat until it’s just starting to smoke. Add the oil, followed by the ginger. Let cook for 30-60 seconds, until golden on the edges. Then add the pork in one layer, and let it sear evenly. Avoid stirring it too much so it can get some color.
- Add the garlic, stir fry for 30 seconds. Then add the napa cabbage and scallions. Stir-fry for a few minutes, letting the cabbage wilt down.
- Add wine around the perimeter of the wok. Mix and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the oyster sauce, and move everything to the center of the wok to create an even “bed” of vegetables and meat. Add the chicken stock and spread the rice cakes on top of the mound of cabbage.
- Cover and cook for 2 minutes over high heat (3 minutes if the rice cakes are frozen). Uncover, and season with salt and white pepper.
- Stir-fry everything together for 2 minutes over medium heat. The sauce will thicken and the rice cakes should be cooked through, but still have a pleasant chewiness. Plate and serve!
