Shanghai Rice Cake Recipe

Shanghai Secret Chinese Rice Cake Recipe

With a population of 24.28 million, Shanghai is the most populous urban area in China and is one of the most populous cities in the world. Known as being a global center for finance and business, Shanghai is also home to many delicious Chinese dishes. 

One distinctively Shanghainese dish is Chinese stir-fried rice cakes with pork and leafy greens, known in Chinese as “chǎo niángāo” (炒年糕).

Chinese rice cakes, or Nian Gao, are made from pounded rice, and have a sticky, chewy texture. They’re kind of an alternative to pasta, and are thick and oval-shaped.

Chao Nian Gao are often eaten during the Chinese New Year because the dish is thought to bring luck and fortune. Nian Gao is pronounced in a similar way to “higher year,” which represents a desire to improve and elevate ourselves in the coming year. 

Where to buy Chinese rice cakes 

You shouldn’t have much trouble finding Chinese rice cakes – just head to your nearest Asian grocery store. They’re usually located next to the fresh noodles and dumpling wrappers. 

They’re sold in different varieties: from fresh, to vacuum packed and frozen, or in whole logs that need to be sliced prior to cooking. You can also get rice cakes in dried packages where you’ll need to soak them in water as with rice noodles. 

Frozen rice cakes tend to work best for this recipe, though. 

Preparing your rice cakes 

If you bought dried rice cakes, they will need to be rehydrated in water first. Do this ahead of cooking – either 3 hours before or ideally the night before. If you bought fresh rice cakes, these will be soft to touch and chewy, so they won’t require any soaking. 

Recipe: Stir-fried Shanghai rice cakes 

For the meat and marinade: 

  • 8 oz. pork shoulder or loin (julienned)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the rest of the dish: 

  • 1 pound rice cakes
  • 8 ounces baby bok choy (or napa cabbage)
  • 2 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped)
  • 3 scallions (cut on a diagonal into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces)
  • 6 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked for 2 hours until reconstituted; can substitute fresh shiitake mushrooms)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1/2-3/4 cup water (depending on how hot your stove can get; for higher BTU stoves, use up to ¾ cup water) 
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • salt (to taste)

Step 1: Marinate your pork 

In this recipe we use pork, but you can also use chicken, or if you’re vegetarian, substitute the meat with tofu instead. Marinate the julienned meat with water, light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, vegetable oil, and cornstarch.

Allow it to soak up the flavors for 20-30 minutes, and during this time you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

Step 2: Prepare the rice cakes and vegetables 

You should have soaked your dried rice cakes earlier, so there shouldn’t be any prep to do for these, and,  if you’re using fresh or frozen rice cakes, you do not have to soak or thaw them. 

Thoroughly wash the baby bok choy (or napa cabbage) before draining it and shaking off excess water, then separate it into individual leaves.  If using napa cabbage, cut up the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Slice the mushrooms into thin pieces, and, if you’re using dried shiitake mushrooms, save the soaking liquid for later. Prepare the garlic and scallions. 

Step 3: Stir-fry your ingredients 

Heat the wok over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly, then coat the wok with vegetable oil and add the pork and garlic. Cook the pork until it turns opaque, then add your mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. 

Next, add in the scallions, bok choy/cabbage, and Shaoxing wine.

Stir-fry for 30 seconds, moving your ingredients to the center of the wok to create an even “bed” of vegetables and meat, then distribute the rice cakes on top to prevent them from sticking to the wok.

Add ½ cup to ¾ cup water, or use the mushroom soaking water for an additional flavor boost. Cover, and cook for 2 minutes to steam the rice cakes and thoroughly cook the vegetables.

Step 4: add your flavor 

Remove the cover once the ingredients are cooked, and add the sesame oil, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sugar.

Stir-fry everything for 1 minute over medium heat, then season with salt to your taste. Stir-fry until the rice cakes are coated in sauce and cooked through but still chewy in texture. 

Variations on the dish 

Stir-fried rice cakes is a simple and versatile dish and can be mixed up to contain pretty much any type of protein and vegetables, so feel free to experiment. 

For your protein, pork is the most common choice for this dish, but chicken, beef, or even shrimp work well too. 

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, try this dish with fried tofu, seitan, or tempeh instead. It tastes just as good. 

You have pretty much free reign when it comes to your veggies.  Broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, celery, onions, snow peas…you name it, it will work in this dish. 

Other rice cake recipes 

Chinese rice cakes are really versatile, and you can try them in a spicy version of this dish, in a Chinese rice cake soup, or in a homemade hot pot recipe. 

Final Say

This dish provides a great balance of protein and vegetables as well as delicious savory flavors and a chewy texture from the rice cakes. It’s a great weekday meal to knock up and is also the perfect alternative to stir-fried noodles or rice. 

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