Jiangnan Recipe

Shanghai Stir-Fried Rice Cakes

Jiangnan · Serves 3–4 · 35 minutes

Shanghai stir-fried rice cakes use chewy niangao slices with napa cabbage, pork or mushrooms, soy sauce, and a mild savory sauce.

Why this dish works

Rice cakes teach a different starch texture. The point is chew, not crispness, and the sauce should coat without becoming heavy.

Recipe at a glance

Item Detail
Serves 3–4
Time 35 minutes
Core technique Stir-frying chewy rice cakes
Heat level Mild
Best with Soup or greens

Ingredients

  • 1 lb sliced rice cakes, soaked if needed
  • 6 oz pork, chicken, or mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cups napa cabbage, sliced
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup stock or water
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • White pepper

Method

  1. Soak or rinse rice cakes according to package directions.
  2. Stir-fry pork, chicken, or mushrooms in oil.
  3. Add napa cabbage and scallions.
  4. Add rice cakes, soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and stock or water.
  5. Cover briefly until rice cakes soften.
  6. Uncover and stir until sauce lightly coats the rice cakes.
  7. Finish with white pepper.

Menu-literacy notes

  • 年糕 / rice cakes: chewy slices made from rice.
  • Shanghai style: napa cabbage and mild soy flavor are common.
  • Texture: rice cakes should be chewy but not hard.
  • Starch role: this can function as the main starch of the meal.

Variations and substitutions

  • Use mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
  • Add shrimp if desired.
  • Use bok choy instead of napa cabbage.
  • Add chile oil at the table for heat.

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