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Cabbage, broccoli and tofu with black bean sauce and rice cakes

This dish came together via a fridge cleanout. I had half a green cabbage in the fridge, and a small head of broccoli which needed immediate attention. Staple vegetables like these can be treated gently, easing their way into almost any dish, but I wanted to push them out of their comfort zone. My answer was rice cakes and black bean sauce.

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A bowl of stir-fried tofu, rice cakes, broccoli, cabbage, and scallions, garnished with sesame seeds.

Rice cakes are not yet widely available at Western grocery stores. Trader Joes had some for a while but I haven’t been there recently so not sure if they still stock them (let me know in comments if you have purchased them there lately). Asian grocery stores will almost always have them nowadays – places like H Mart are sure bets, as are smaller neighborhood Japanese/Korean grocery stores. Chinese supermarkets have plenty of them too. They sometimes come frozen or vacuum sealed in the fridge section. They can be sliced or in long chubby sticks (sometimes even thumb-size chunks). All varieties are fine for this recipe.

No rice cakes? Substitute with short pasta, noodles or even gnocchi – yes gnocchi! I have come to regard them as pretty good substitutes for one another, one carby morsel for another. Substitute black bean sauce with doubanjiang or for a sweeter version, hoisin sauce.

Cabbage, broccoli and tofu with black bean sauce and rice cakes

Serves

Ingredients

2 pounds vacuum-sealed rice cakes (sliced or tubes), soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
4 scallions, white parts cut into 2-inch / 5cm pieces and green parts sliced
1/2 inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
2 pounds cabbage (about 1/2) (any variety), cut into 1-inch chunks
sea salt and white pepper
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets and tender stem peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
7 ounces baked tofu (store-bought), sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
toasted white sesame seeds, to serve

Instructions

Place the rice cakes into a large bowl of hot water (hot tap water is ok) and soak for 5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water.
Meanwhile, heat a wok or large skillet on medium high heat. Drizzle with oil and then add the white parts of the scallions and the ginger. Bloom for 30 seconds until fragrant and then add the cabbage, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and toss until the cabbage is slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and garlic and toss until combined. Next, add the rice cakes, black bean sauce, soy sauce or tamari, and toss well to coat, until the rice cakes are hot, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the tofu and toss gently.
Finally season with sesame oil, scatter with sesame seeds and top with green parts of the scallions.