It’s that time of year again… Lunar new year where the everyone in my family gets out of the January funk and excited for Lunar New Year! Tet is always such an exciting time - revolved around food, family, and a whole lot of superstitions. My mom has this weird rule where you can’t shower on the actual Lunar New Year day because you’re washing away all of the good luck people just wished you. I’m always confused by those “rules” but will graciously accept the red envelopes. :D
For this Tet, I wanted to make some of my favorite Asian dishes. There’s always some kind of noodle dish that gets served, so I thought why not try something new? I was inspired by Din Tai Fung’s Shanghai Rice Cake noodle stir fry and tried to recreate it here. The rice cakes are chewy and coated with this savory gravy. It’s like biting into a saucy gummy bear! It sounds weird but trust me, it’s delicious. I’ve only ever had these rice cakes in Korean form (the spicy red gravy with fish cakes) so this was a nice departure - and also baby friendly! As you can see below, Erisy LOVES them! I especially love that it comes together in about 30 minutes. Hooray!
For Chicken & Rice Cake Noodle Stir Fry
3 chicken thighs, sliced
1 tsp corn starch
2 tbsps cooking oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1 bunch bok choy, chopped
1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 cups dried rice cake, soaked in water for 20 minutes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/4 cup water
Sauce:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing wine (or cooking wine, orange juice, sherry)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
In a bowl, mix oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, kosher salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar.
To Marinate the chicken:
In a bowl, add 1 tbsp of the sauce mixture, sliced chicken thighs, and cornstarch. Mix and set aside.
To cook make stir fry:
In a hot wok, add 2 tbsps of oil and let it get smokey. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes, making sure to move it constantly so it doesn’t stick. Add onions, shitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and mix again for another minute. Add bok choy, rice cakes, remaining sauce mixture, and water. Cover and let it cook for about 3-5 minutes for the rice cakes to expand. Remove lid and continue cooking until sauce thickens up and you get a thick gravy.
Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
Watch the full video tutorial below!
If you make this dish, be sure to tag me on Instagram @Honeysuckle! I love seeing your creations and would love to re share! xo
