As food bloggers, we’re constantly looking for new ideas for recipes. One of our best methods of gaining inspiration? Going out and trying new things to eat! That’s how I got the idea for today’s recipe: Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes.
What Are Chinese Rice Cakes?
Rice cakes are one of my favorite ingredients. If you’ve never had them, they’re basically little starchy, chewy disks or ovals made from sticky rice. I like to describe them as a kind of Chinese gnocchi. They can be added to soups, hot pot, and stir-fries, and I’ve always had them prepared in a select few ways.
Growing up, we had sort of a “standard” rice cake stir-fry, usually made with pork, mushrooms, and vegetables. Sometimes, my mom or grandma would make a Shanghainese version with a leafy green called Shepherd’s purse (you can check out that rice cake recipe here).
For the last 27 years, I have been more than happy with these rice cake dishes, and haven’t looked elsewhere for new ideas on how to prepare them.
A New Rice Cake Dish
But recently, I was eating out at a restaurant when I noticed “spicy stir-fried rice cakes” on the menu, involving Sichuan peppercorns. Having stuck to the greatest hits for so long, it was time for something different.
We ordered said spicy stir-fried rice cakes, and They. Were. Good. So I promptly pulled out my phone, apologized to my dining companions for being a weirdo, snapped a picture, took a few notes, and went home to test out my own version.
This recipe is the result! Let’s get into how to prepare it.
Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes: Recipe Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Add the pork belly and sear, not stirring. Once browned and caramelized on one side, stir-fry until the pork belly is opaque. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium, and add an additional 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the ginger. Let the ginger infuse the oil for 1 minute.
Add the garlic, and cook for another 30 seconds.
Turn the heat back up to high, and add the onions, jalapenos, Thai red bird chilies, and the white parts of the scallions.
Cook for another minute, and then add the rice cakes and Shaoxing wine.
Mix well, scooping up from the bottom of the wok for 30 seconds. Turn the heat down to medium low, and cover for one minute.
Remove cover, and add the pork belly back to the wok, along with the soy sauce, sugar, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and spicy bean paste.
Stir-fry until the rice cakes are cooked through but still chewy. Stir in the green parts of the scallions until wilted, and serve.
Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 8 oz. pork belly (thinly sliced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium onion (cut into small wedges)
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers (de-seeded and thinly sliced)
- 2 Thai red bird chilies (sliced, optional)
- 3 scallions (cut into 2 inch lengths)
- 1 pound rice cakes
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 1 teaspoon spicy bean paste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Add the pork belly and sear, not stirring. Once browned and caramelized on one side, stir-fry until the pork belly is opaque. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium, and add an additional 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the ginger. Let the ginger infuse the oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic, and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Turn the heat back up to high, and add the onions, jalapenos, red chilies, and the white parts of the scallions. Cook for another minute, and then add the rice cakes and Shaoxing wine. Mix well, scooping up from the bottom of the wok for 30 seconds. Turn the heat down to medium low, and cover for one minute.
- Remove cover, and add the pork belly back to the wok, along with the soy sauce, sugar, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and spicy bean paste. Stir-fry until the rice cakes are cooked through but still chewy. Stir in the green parts of the scallions until wilted, and serve.
nutrition facts
I’ve never cooked rice cakes before and I’m so excited to try this recipe. I went and bought rice cakes yesterday at the local asian super market. Can I take them straight out of the packaging and put them in the stir fry, or do they need to cook or boil or something first?
You can put them straight into the stir-fry, where they will steam to cook through. As long as they are the thin oval-shaped ones shown here (and not the thick log-shaped ones), there’s no need to pre-cook!
I have left many comments and notes of appreciation in the past but just had to say something about this recipe too. Last night I made the dish with some changes including blanched broccoli florets, sliced sweet red pepper and celery to bump up the vegetable quotient and to make it a one dish meal which is what I like for myself after a long day on my feet.
But also, I had a revelation. Reading Fuchsia Dunlop, loving Sichuan cuisine forbyears, learning to cook it, finding the ingredients in a rural area, well a challenge as your international readers know. Thing is, through this process, years I have been cooking with some Szechuan pepper corns I bought in my Ctown some years ago.
But recently I bought some from the MaLa Market online. Shocking, what a difference!
Their peppercorns were absolutely wow, compared to the tired ones I had.
I finally experienced true mala!
Another great recipe, thank you so much!
Truth be told, I spend an inordinate amount of time on your blog. You four are my constant culinary companions, fierce warriors in the pursuit of real flavor, teaching us all so much.
Thank you! Another lo fan!
Thank you so much for this amazing comment––we love being your culinary companions! So glad that you’ve experienced true mala with some fresh Sichuan peppercorns also! :)