Stir-Fried Rice Cakes (Chao Nian Gao)
Chewy rice cakes tossed with pork and napa in a soy glaze — the Lunar New Year dish that eats like a meal.
The story
Nian gao — chewy rice cakes — are the New Year food whose name sounds like "higher every year." Shanghai stir-fries them white and glossy with shredded pork and napa; the chew is the whole experience, unlike any Western starch.
Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)
- Fresh or frozen sliced rice cakes (nian gao) — 1 lb / 450 g
- Ground pork — 6 oz / 170 g
- Napa cabbage — 1/2 head, shredded
- Soy sauce — 2 tbsp
- Garlic — 2 cloves, minced
- Scallions — 1, sliced
Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): sugar (1 tsp), cooking oil. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.
Steps
- Soak the rice cakes in warm water 10 minutes (fresh ones need 5; frozen, follow pack). Drain.
- Brown the pork with garlic; add napa and fry until wilting.
- Rice cakes in with soy and sugar; stir-fry 4–5 minutes until chewy-soft and glossy.
Swaps
Rice cakes are 🔶 at Asian groceries (fresh or vacuum packs keep for months). Add bok choy instead of napa.
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