rice cakes are a staple of chinese (though more mandarin than cantonese) cooking. they're gooey and chewy, like a thicker, generally giant-er version of a rice noodle. they're cheap and filling, and great in stir fries.
i picked up some rice cakes from hong kong supermarket in chinatown, along with some ground pork from deluxe and some chinese chives (they're longer, thinner, and with slightly yellowed ends compared to your regular chive). soaked the rice cakes to soften them, seasoned the ground pork with the usual chinese flavorings, and did a quick stir fry. flavorful and simple. serves 4.
ingredients
1 lb rice cakes
1 large bunch chinese chives, ends removed, then the long leaves cut into half width-wise
1 lb ground pork
1 inch knob ginger, peeled and minced
2-3 garlic cloves
3/4 cup chicken broth
a dash each of:
soy sauce
white pepper
oyster sauce
sesame oil
rice wine
cornstarch
sugar
steps
1. soak the rice cakes in cold water for 30 minutes.
2. season ground pork with soy sauce, white pepper, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, cornstarch and sugar. mix well.
3. heat cooking oil in a pan, then fry the ginger and garlic. when nearly browned, add the ground pork. fry until nearly cooked through, then set aside.
4. in the same large saucepan/wok, add the chives and fry until wilted (no need to add cooking oil; there will be fat in the pan from the pork).
5. drain the rice cakes and add them to the pan together with the chicken broth. stir to prevent sticking, and cook until the rice cakes are cooked through and chewy. stir pork back in, and let it cook through completely. season with more white pepper as desired.
cost calculation
1 lb rice cakes, $1.00
1 large bunch chinese chives, $1.19
1 lb ground pork, $1.99
1 inch knob ginger, $0.10
2-3 garlic cloves, $0.10
3/4 cup chicken broth, $0.30
total: $4.68 divided by 4 = $1.17
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