Photography by Murray Hall; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen
Rice cakes may be a year-round staple across Asia, but they’re especially popular when Lunar New Year rolls around. In many cultures, rice cakes are symbolic of an auspicious new year, so all shapes and sizes show up on holiday feast tables. This chao niangao recipe, which translates as stir-fried rice cakes, is a Shanghai-style dish—though this version amps up the savoriness with the addition of doubanjiang, a Chinese fermented soybean paste.
This recipe first appeared in our Jan/Feb 2014 SAVEUR 100 print issue.
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Yield: 2 Time: 15 minutes 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped One 2-in. piece ginger, finely chopped 3 oz. oval-shaped packaged rice cakes (not dried) 1 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots ½ head Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced ¼ cup light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. doubanjiang (fermented soybean paste) 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 4 cups spinach 1 cup bean sprouts 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil Instructions To a large wok set over medium-high heat, add the oil. When it begins to smoke, add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice
