Shanghai Stir-Fried Rice Cakes (Nian Gao)

Wed, 8 April 2026

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 20 min

Servings: 4

A quick, healthy, and delicious stir-fry that’s packed with vegetables and chewy, savory rice cakes. Perfect as a vegetarian meal, but you can also add chicken, pork, or beef if you like!

Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

• 1 lb rice cakes ( available in Korean or Chinese grocery stores)

• 15 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ tbsp fresh ginger, minced

• ½ onion, sliced

• 3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 10 oz baby bok choy, separated

• ½ cup water

• 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)

Sauce:

• 2.5 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp white pepper

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1.5 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

Instructions

1. Prep Rice Cakes & Veggies:

Cook or soak the rice cakes according to the package instructions. Make sure all pieces are separated. Wash and prep all vegetables.

2. Stir-Fry Aromatics:

Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and onion. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.

3. Add Rice Cakes & Bok Choy:

Toss in the rice cakes and bok choy. Sauté 2–3 minutes. Add cooking wine and water, stir well, cover, and cook 2 minutes until rice cakes are soft.

4. Prepare & Add Sauce:

In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, and vegetarian oyster sauce. Pour over the rice cakes and vegetables.

5. Finish Cooking:

Add green onions and stir-fry on high heat for 2–3 minutes, until everything is well-coated and heated through.

Tips & Variations

• Add your choice of protein like chicken, pork, or beef for a non-vegetarian version.

• For gluten-free, use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.

• Great for a quick lunch or dinner—ready in just 20 minutes!