Chao Nian Gao (Stir-Fried Rice Cakes) | Recipe

nian gao hard

or go home.

This is one of my favorite dishes my dad made. Growing up as a restaurant kid, my dad worked long hours and holidays don’t exist in the restaurant world— those are the busiest days. But, on the occasions when he was home, he always made his presence known.

He would bust out this massive multiplication poster (I actually don’t know where he got it) for impromptu math quizzes, lecture me in Chinese about improving my Chinese (lol), spray rubbing alcohol for any ailment I had, or make me stare at the grass outside because he said green is “good” for eyesight. 

It took some time before I realized that through these goofy habits, he was always looking out for me, spending the little free time he had helping to prepare me for my own life after leaving home. 

On his rare days off, he would make *this,* chao nian gao, or stir-fried rice cakes. Quickly stir-fried with pork or beef, Chinese vegetables, and slivered chewy rice cakes with savory sauce. And while I didn’t see my dad often growing up, this dish always brings back those moments that seemed goofy but also showed how thoughtful he was— huddled around a bowl of sticky rice cakes late night after his shift, doing math problems with his kids.

What’s in it

• 1/2 package of rice cakes

• 1 tbsp shao xing wine

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• neutral oil

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp shao xing wine

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1/4 onion, chopped

• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 slices ginger, julienned

• 3-4 dried chilis broken apart

• 2 scallions, chopped long

• 3 bok choy, roughly chopped or broken apart or other veggies of choice

• 2 tsp chili oil (optional)

• 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• white pepper

• salt to taste

  MEAT MARINADE:

• 3/4 tsp cornstarch

• 6 oz pork or steak

• 1/2 tbsp shao xing wine

• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

How to do it

sunbeams + stir fried rice cakes = love

1. Marinade your choice of meat with cornstarch, shao xing wine + soy sauce, let it sit for 15 minutes while you chop your aromatics.

2. Add oil to a pan or wok on medium heat, add in your onion, then garlic + ginger.

3. Once they start to crisp slightly, add in your meat. When both sides have started to brown (but not completely), add shao xing wine then bok choy.

4. Add in your rice cakes + water, cover with a lid. Let the rice cakes + bok choy steam under the lid until both have begun to soften (about a minute or so).

5. Add in soy sauce, dark soy sauce, shao xing wine, white pepper, sesame oil, dried chilis + scallions. Quickly stir-frying all together until evenly mixed. I like to add in a little chili oil occasionally right into the stir-fry to add a little spice sometimes. A quick, easy and always delicious stir-fry.