Chinese Stir-Fried Rice Cakes with Egg and Spinach Recipe
Stir-fried rice cakes with egg and spinach is a simple dish from southern China, where rice cakes are as popular as potato dumplings are in Poland. Here they go into a pan with egg, garlic, and green spinach, creating a quick, meatless lunch. The texture of the rice cakes is pleasantly chewy, and the whole dish is a bit like a cross between pasta and Silesian dumplings in an Asian version.
This dish combines the comforting chewiness of Chinese rice cakes with simple, everyday ingredients like egg and spinach, creating a quick, satisfying, and meatless meal with a distinct southern Chinese character.
Chef's tips
Do not overcook the rice cakes, as they can become too soft and lose their pleasant chewiness. If they start sticking to the pan, add a little water instead of more oil—this helps them soften and absorb the sauce better.
How to serve
Serve in warm bowls, topped with extra sliced spring onion and a drizzle of chili oil or a spoonful of chili crisp for added heat and aroma.
Ingredients
- Chinese rice cakes (rice cakes) slices made from rice flour, fresh or dried - 250 g
- eggs - 2 pieces
- fresh spinach you can use baby spinach - 150 g
- garlic finely chopped - 3 cloves
- onion cut into diagonal pieces - 2 pieces
- soy sauce - 2 tablespoons
- oyster sauce for vegetarians you can replace it with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of miso paste - 1 tablespoon
- water for sprinkling the rice cakes - 80 ml
- oil - 2 tablespoons
- pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- If you are using dried rice cakes, soak them in hot water for 30–40 minutes until they soften and become flexible. Then drain. Fresh rice cakes only need to be rinsed with warm water to separate them.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Finely chop the garlic, slice the spring onion. Wash and dry the spinach; you can cut larger leaves in half.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and fry, stirring gently, until you get soft scrambled eggs. Transfer them to a plate.
- In the same pan, heat the second tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the garlic and the white parts of the spring onion. Fry for 30–40 seconds, until they become very fragrant.
- Add the rice cakes. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring gently, until they start to brown slightly. If they stick, add 2–3 tablespoons of water.
- Pour in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and the remaining water. Stir until the sauce evenly coats the rice cakes and the liquid starts to bubble gently.
- Add the spinach and the green parts of the spring onion. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the rice cakes are soft but chewy.
- Add the fried egg, season with pepper, and gently mix. Taste and add a little more soy sauce if needed.
- Serve immediately while the rice cakes are still hot and tender.
Storage
Kluski po schłodzeniu twardnieją. Przy podgrzewaniu na patelni dodaj kilka łyżek wody, przykryj i podgrzewaj na małym ogniu, aż znów zmiękną. Nie mroź, bo ich struktura bardzo się pogorszy.
