Shanghai rice cakes (nian gao)
I made this yesterday. This isn't my picture, so mine was slightly different: ground pork instead of pork strips, and with the addition of broad beans (though I was looking for soybeans). Of course you can always leave out the pork if you like.
1 pack of rice ovals (Korean is better than Chinese, for some reason. You can find them in the refrigerated or freezer section)
1/2 lb. or so of ground pork (coarse, fatty pork is better)
---> can also use pork strips if you prefer, but I find ground to be easier to work with (i.e. I don't touch the stuff with my hands D:)
1 bunch of yuchoy (you2 cai4 in Mandarin, literally oil vegetable)
---> If you can't find this fresh, try looking for the packaged/canned version, in which case you don't need to do anything with it except take it out of the package and put it in the wok
1 pack of frozen, shelled soybeans or broad beans (optional)
minced or julienned ginger (optional)
salt
soy sauce
cornstarch/tapioca starch
1. Wash the yuchoy, and slice off the dry ends. Cut them in half, and place the choy in a large jar/tupperware, alternating the layers of greens with about 2 tsp or so of salt (I eyed it, not really sure - just enough to lightly cover the leaves). Leave in for about 10 mins.
2. While that's going, boil a pot of water, enough to cover the rice cakes/ovals. Take your rice ovals out and soak them in cold water to break them up. After the water is at a rolling boil, dump in the ovals. Stir occasionally to make sure they don't stick to the sides. Cook them until soft, then drain.
3. While that's cooking, heat up a wok/other large pan with sides with a generous amount of oil. If you're using ginger, throw a spoonful of that in now. Mix some soy sauce and a small spoonful of starch in with the pork to taste (starch makes it more tender), and then stir-fry that in the wok until it's just cooked (should be a light brown).
4. While the pork is cooking (or before if you're worried about burning it), take the yuchoy out of the container, and rinse off the salt. Cut it into small pieces, about 1/2" or so. Take the soy or broad beans and thaw them. When the pork is about done, toss in the vegetables.
5. Dump the rice ovals in when the veggies are about wilted. You can add soy sauce now if you need extra flavor, but I normally don't (I eat less salt than most people though). At this point, I added some extra oil. Stir-fry for a while until all the flavors are mixed. Serve with chili sauce (optional!). :)
If you timed it all right, the yuchoy will be done when you start the pork, and the ovals will be done right about when you throw the veggies in, so they don't spend that much time in the colander, sticking to each other. I didn't, but they break up in the wok anyway. ;)
I do believe that this is completely gluten-free, since the cakes are made of rice (oh except for the tiny bit in the soy sauce), and can be vegan if you take out the pork. I've made this before, but forgot to write this down.
Look, I do cook! :O
1 pack of rice ovals (Korean is better than Chinese, for some reason. You can find them in the refrigerated or freezer section)
1/2 lb. or so of ground pork (coarse, fatty pork is better)
---> can also use pork strips if you prefer, but I find ground to be easier to work with (i.e. I don't touch the stuff with my hands D:)
1 bunch of yuchoy (you2 cai4 in Mandarin, literally oil vegetable)
---> If you can't find this fresh, try looking for the packaged/canned version, in which case you don't need to do anything with it except take it out of the package and put it in the wok
1 pack of frozen, shelled soybeans or broad beans (optional)
minced or julienned ginger (optional)
salt
soy sauce
cornstarch/tapioca starch
1. Wash the yuchoy, and slice off the dry ends. Cut them in half, and place the choy in a large jar/tupperware, alternating the layers of greens with about 2 tsp or so of salt (I eyed it, not really sure - just enough to lightly cover the leaves). Leave in for about 10 mins.
2. While that's going, boil a pot of water, enough to cover the rice cakes/ovals. Take your rice ovals out and soak them in cold water to break them up. After the water is at a rolling boil, dump in the ovals. Stir occasionally to make sure they don't stick to the sides. Cook them until soft, then drain.
3. While that's cooking, heat up a wok/other large pan with sides with a generous amount of oil. If you're using ginger, throw a spoonful of that in now. Mix some soy sauce and a small spoonful of starch in with the pork to taste (starch makes it more tender), and then stir-fry that in the wok until it's just cooked (should be a light brown).
4. While the pork is cooking (or before if you're worried about burning it), take the yuchoy out of the container, and rinse off the salt. Cut it into small pieces, about 1/2" or so. Take the soy or broad beans and thaw them. When the pork is about done, toss in the vegetables.
5. Dump the rice ovals in when the veggies are about wilted. You can add soy sauce now if you need extra flavor, but I normally don't (I eat less salt than most people though). At this point, I added some extra oil. Stir-fry for a while until all the flavors are mixed. Serve with chili sauce (optional!). :)
If you timed it all right, the yuchoy will be done when you start the pork, and the ovals will be done right about when you throw the veggies in, so they don't spend that much time in the colander, sticking to each other. I didn't, but they break up in the wok anyway. ;)
I do believe that this is completely gluten-free, since the cakes are made of rice (oh except for the tiny bit in the soy sauce), and can be vegan if you take out the pork. I've made this before, but forgot to write this down.
Look, I do cook! :O