Recipe – Stir Fry Beef and Rice Cakes

Although Chinese New Year is already over, I’m still eating 年糕 (nian gao; rice cakes). I enjoy these tender and chewy rice cakes best when they’re stir-fried with beef. Adding garlic, ginger and spring onions enhances the fragrance. I also used shaoxing wine and other condiments for a richer flavour. I found this Stir-Fried Beef and Rice Cakes recipe from The Woks of Life and made a little tweak.

Ingredients
400g beef
500g rice cakes
2 cloves of garlic
4 thinly-sliced ginger, finely julienned
4 spring onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Marinate the beef with oil, cornstarch and light soy sauce. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil in wok and sear the beef for a minute before setting aside.
3. Add garlic and ginger to the wok. When they start to brown, add spring onions.
4. Add rice cakes and shaoxing wine. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add beef, dark and light soy sauce, sesame oil and salt.
6. Toss together until rice cakes are tender yet still a little chewy.

This recipe serves 4 people, takes approximately 25 minutes of preparation time and 10 minutes of cooking time. Do you have other ways of making rice cakes? Do comment below and share your recipes with me!

Check out the recipe video that I’ve created on Instagram at @lex.eatslower.