Shanghai Stir-fried Rice Cakes (20 Minutes ONLY! )
Let’s make a quick, easy, delicious, and healthy Vegetarian Shanghai Stir-fried Rice Cake recipe 上海炒年糕 that takes less than 20 minutes! This classic Chinese comfort food is not just tasty, it also has tons of vegetables. This easy one pan dinner is a comforting, plant-based recipe full of authentic Shanghai flavors, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or an easy homemade takeout alternative.
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Stir-Fried Rice Cakes
Vegetarian Shanghai Rice Cake Stir Fry
If you never tried Shanghai Stir-fried Rice Cakes (Nian Gao) 上海炒年糕 , you are missing out! It is chewy, savory, and super addicting. I love making Stir-fried Rice Cakes when I am busy, but want a delicious and healthy meal packed with vegetables.
We are making a vegetarian version today. However, you can also add any protein of your choice, such as chicken, pork, and beef! This recipe is a vegetarian recipe that is SUPER delicious!
Shanghai Stir-Fried Rice Cakes Ingredients
- 1 lb of Rice Cakes
- 15 Shiitake Mushroom sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 0.5 tbsp Ginger minced
- ½ Onion sliced
- 3 Green Onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- 10 oz of Baby Buk Choy cut and 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
Shanghai Rice Cakes 年糕
If you’ve never tried rice cakes, they have a similar consistency to mochi but slightly chewier and sticky. You can usually find them near the tofu or kimchi section of most grocery stores. Depending on whether you buy fresh or frozen rice cakes, you may need to soak them or rinse with hot water to soften them and separate any that are stuck together. Make sure to follow package instructions.
Before adding them to the pan, I like to make sure they’re mostly separated, so each piece can properly soak up the sauce. Stir gently while cooking to prevent clumping. Check for doneness before serving, because these rice cakes should be soft yet pleasantly chewy, not mushy or hard in the center.
Super Addicting Shanghai Style Stir-Fry Sauce
The sauce is what makes my Shanghai Stir-Fried Rice Cakes super addicting and delicious! For the sauce, all your will need is Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Vegetarian Oyster Sauce, Sugar, and White Pepper!
As you know, I always rave about how important it is to use HIGH-QUALITY Soy Sauce as it makes a world of difference. Today we will be using my go-to and favorite condiments from Lee Kum Kee. My go-to brand to get my Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, and also Dark Soy Sauce. Lee Kum Kee’s Premium line carries high-quality products that are affordable AND accessible.
Variations To Shanghai Stir Fried Rice Cakes
The best part of making Shanghai Stir-Fried Rice Cakes is you can customize based on what you have available and your diet.
Today I’m adding shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choy, onions, and green onions. Other great options include bean sprouts, napa cabbage, carrots, and chives.
Yes! Most rice cakes brands are gluten-free. So, if you replace the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce with gluten-free options like tamari, you can make this recipe completely gluten-free.
Yes! If you switch out the oyster sauce with a vegetarian oyster sauce, you can still get the same flavors but completely vegan.
I am making a vegetarian version today, but you can also add your choice of any protein. My favorite is shrimp or pork.
How To Make Shanghai Stir-Fried Rice Cakes
- Prepare the Rice Cake based on the package instruction. Make sure all the rice cake is separated, and all the vegetables are prepared.
- In a pan, drizzle in oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in the ginger, garlic, shiitake mushroom, and onion. Stir-fry everything for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in bok choy and rice cake. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add in Chinese cooking wine and water, mix to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom, put the lid on, and let it cook for 2 minutes or until rice cakes are soft.
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, and vegetarian oyster sauce.
- After 2 minutes, pour in the sauce, add in green onion, and saute on high heat for another 2-3 minutes.
More EASY recipes less than 20 minutes I know you’ll LOVE
- 3 Cup Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry (20 Minutes ONLY!)
- Fried Tofu with Garlic Sauce (20 Minutes or Less!)
- Authentic & Healthy 20 Minutes Vegetarian Shanghai Noodles
- The BEST Chicken Teriyaki in 20 Minutes!
Shanghai Stir-fried Rice Cakes (Nian Gao)
By Tiffy Cooks
Equipment
- Pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb of Rice Cakes
- 15 Shiitake Mushroom sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 0.5 tbsp Ginger minced
- ½ Onion sliced
- 3 Green Onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- 10 oz of Baby Buk Choy cut and 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
- Prepare the Rice Cake based on the package instruction. Make sure all the rice cake is separated, and all the vegetables are prepared.
- In a pan, drizzle in oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in the ginger, garlic, shiitake mushroom, and onion. Stir-fry everything for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in bok choy and rice cake. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add in Chinese cooking wine and water, mix to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom, put the lid on, and let it cook for 2 minutes or until rice cakes are soft.
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, and vegetarian oyster sauce.
- After 2 minutes, pour in the sauce, add in green onion, and saute on high heat for another 2-3 minutes.
I recently tried your rice cake recipe and loved it! The texture was perfectly chewy, and the flavor was just right. The instructions were easy to follow, making the process enjoyable. These rice cakes were a hit with my family, and I’ll definitely be making them again. Highly recommended!
This recipe took me back to my childhood with all of my family together cooking and sharing meals. It was delicious!
A recipe that I love. Chinese cooking wine, I saw it on Amazon and they don’t send it to me. I’m at the end of the world 😂😂😂, so, what wine can I replace it with? Mirin? maybe, I don’t know, please help me. Thanks in advance
Hi Wendy, if you can’t find Chinese cooking wine, you can try sake or vodka instead! Any grain-based, unflavored, neutral tasting alcohol should work well.
Tiffy
So so good but I was wondering, it has some heat to it and I can’t figure out from what! Trying to figure out what I did to make it spicy. Too much green onion maybe? I didn’t get enough baby bok choy so I added more green onion. Either way I loved it!
Hi Diana! The spiciness could come from the white pepper or the ginger. If you’re not into the heat, you can reduce either of these ingredients!
Tiffy
i hope this is healthy food.but i dont maked it looks like this recipies.anyone advice me plaese about this recipie.