Lo bak go (萝卜糕) is a conventional Cantonese dim sum made out of rice flour and daikon radish, steamed till set after which pan fried till golden and crispy. It’s a should have throughout Chinese language New 12 months celebrations and Lunar New 12 months feasts, symbolizing luck for the 12 months forward.

I grew up consuming turnip cake at dim sum eating places, however I used to be by no means impressed till I attempted the do-it-yourself model loaded with scrumptious filling. For my recipe, I grate the daikon, cook dinner it with a savory filling of Chinese language sausage and dried shrimp, steam the batter for about an hour, then relaxation it in a single day and pan fry slices till crispy. So good!

I do know this recipe takes effort and time, however the outcomes are price it when my household gathers across the desk through the holidays. My husband loves the crispy edges and my mates all the time ask to take some dwelling, so I make further for them because it shops so properly. I hope you give this recipe a attempt at dwelling and make it a practice in your kitchen too.

Components

I grouped the substances by dried items that want soaking, the principle vegetable, the filling, and the seasonings for the batter.

Dried Items

Dried shiitake mushrooms: These add deep umami taste to the filling. I soak them in heat water till delicate and cube the caps into small items.

Dried shrimp: These tiny solar dried shrimp deliver an intense savory style. I mince them after soaking so that they distribute evenly all through the cake.

Important Ingredient

Daikon radish: That is the star of the dish, grated coarsely and cooked till delicate. You will have about 2 lbs earlier than peeling, which yields round 1 lb 4 oz grated. Don’t use turnip on this recipe, or else the completed dish may very well be off.

Filling

Chinese language sausage: I exploit 3 sausages, slice it in half, lower every half into skinny strips, after which chop every part into small items.

Word: I left the items a bit bigger in my model, however you may mince additional in case you favor the dim sum restaurant type.

Batter and Seasonings

Rice flour: I exploit 1 1/4 cups to create a batter that units into a young cake. The ratio of flour to liquid is the trickiest a part of this recipe.

Sugar, salt, white pepper: These easy seasonings steadiness the savory filling.

Tips on how to Make

Soak the mushrooms: Rinse the shiitake mushrooms with faucet water and rub them to take away any dust. Place in a bowl and add heat water to cowl. Soak for quarter-hour, or till delicate. Drain totally and cube the caps into 1/4 inch items.

Soak the shrimp: Rinse the dried shrimp with faucet water and rub to take away any dust. Place in a separate bowl and add heat water to cowl. Soak for quarter-hour, or till delicate. Drain totally and mince.

Cook dinner the sausage: Add the Chinese language sausage to a big nonstick skillet and warmth over medium. Flip to medium low as soon as it begins to sizzle and cook dinner till frivolously browned and a few fats has rendered, about 5 minutes. Switch to a bowl and reserve the rendered fats within the pan.

In case you use minced Chinese language sausage, stir and cook dinner for 1 minute or so, till they’re simply frivolously seared.

Cook dinner the mushrooms and shrimp: Add the mushrooms and shrimp to the pan. Cook dinner till frivolously charred, then switch to the identical bowl with the sausage.

Braise the daikon: Add the daikon radish and 1 cup of water into the identical skillet. Cook dinner over medium excessive warmth till simmering. Cowl and simmer over medium low warmth till the daikon is delicate and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.

Pressure the daikon: Pressure the cooked daikon over a colander, urgent out as a lot liquid as you may right into a measuring cup.

Create the batter: Measure out 1 cup of liquid and pour it into a big bowl. Add rice flour, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Stir properly till a really runny batter kinds.

Add the daikon: Add again the daikon and blend once more.

Thicken the batter: Switch the combination to a clear nonstick skillet. Cook dinner over medium low warmth, stirring always, till the combination has thickened sufficient to type a clump when stirred, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the filling: Stir within the cooked filling.

Assemble: Grease a glass container or baking dish that matches your steamer with oil. Switch the combination into the container.

Steam: Arrange your steamer with loads of water and convey to a boil. Place the container on a steaming rack and steam over medium excessive warmth for 50 to 60 minutes.

Relaxation and fry: Let the turnip cake cool utterly, then refrigerate in a single day till absolutely set. Flip the cake out of the container and lower into 1/4 inch thick slices utilizing a sawing movement for clear edges. Pan fry in a skinny layer of oil over medium warmth till golden on either side.

Serve: Take pleasure in with soy sauce and sliced inexperienced onions. Test my Serving Ideas part for extra particulars on how I prefer to serve.

Serving Ideas

I serve turnip cake straight from the pan whereas the perimeters are nonetheless crispy. Add a drizzle of soy sauce if you’d like extra saltiness. My favourite method is to serve it with chili garlic sauce. Different instances I set out my do-it-yourself chili oil as properly to let everybody add their very own warmth.

Once I make this for Chinese language New 12 months gatherings, I steam the total batch forward of time and preserve it within the fridge. Then I slice and pan fry parts as visitors arrive so everybody will get scorching, crispy slices all through the meal. Turnip cake pairs properly with different dim sum favorites like char siu bao, Chinese language egg rolls, and steamed custard buns. For a full vacation unfold, take a look at my Chinese language New 12 months recipes roundup for extra concepts.

Continuously ask questions

I make this turnip cake with grated daikon, Chinese language sausage, and dried shrimp, then steam and pan fry it till crispy on the skin. The bottom line is getting the daikon to flour ratio excellent so the cake is tender and moist, not robust. It’s a traditional dim sum appetizer dish I make each Chinese language New 12 months, and it tastes so a lot better than the restaurant model.

Cook dinner ModeStop your display from going darkish

• Soak dried substances: Rinse the shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp individually with faucet water and gently rub them to take away any dust. Place every ingredient into a special bowl. Add heat water to cowl. Soak for quarter-hour, or till the substances flip delicate. Drain totally. Cube mushroom cap into 1/4” items and mince the shrimp.

• Cook dinner the filling: Add the Chinese language sausage into a big nonstick skillet and warmth it over medium warmth. Cook dinner from a chilly pan and switch to medium-low warmth as soon as the sausage begins to sizzle. Cook dinner till the sausage is frivolously browned and a few oil is rendered off, 5 minutes or so. Switch the sausage to a bowl and reserve the rendered fats. Add the shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp. Cook dinner and stir till frivolously charred. Switch to the identical bowl with the sausage.

• Cook dinner the daikon: Add the daikon radish and 1 cup of water into the identical skillet. Cook dinner over medium-high warmth till simmering. Cowl, simmer over medium-low warmth till the daikon is delicate and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.

• Create the batter: Pressure the cooked radish over a colander, urgent out as a lot liquid as you may into an enormous bowl or measuring cup. Measure out 1 cup of liquid, pour into a big bowl. Add rice flour, sugar, salt and white pepper. Stir to combine properly till forming a really runny batter. Add again the radish and blend once more.

• Cook dinner the batter: Switch the radish combination to a big, clear nonstick skillet. Cook dinner over medium-low warmth and stir always, till the combination has barely thickened. Whenever you stir the combination, the radish ought to be capable of type a clump with out wanting too runny. It will solely take 1 or 2 minutes. Stir within the cooked filling.

• Assemble: Put together 1 to 2 glass tupperware or baking dishes that may match into your steamer. You need to use two 4.5” x 4.5” (11cm x 11 cm) tupperware dishes to cook dinner two batches. You probably have a big wok or steamer, you would possibly be capable of match a 5” x 9” (13cm x 23cm) loaf pan or 7”x7” (20cm x 20cm) baking pan (*Footnote 3). You’ll solely have to cook dinner one batch on this case. In case you’ll be cooking in two batches, cowl the raw batter with plastic wrap to forestall it from drying out. Grease the glass tupperware with oil. Switch the combination into the tupperware.

• Steam: Arrange your steamer by including loads of water and bringing it to a boil (*Footnote 4). Add the steaming rack with the turnip cake container. Steam over medium-high warmth for 50 to 60 minutes till the turnip cake is cooked by means of. Take a look at the doneness by inserting a knife into the cake and it ought to come out clear.

• Relaxation: Take away the steamed turnip cake and set it apart to chill. As soon as the container is now not scorching, switch it to the fridge. Let the turnip cake set till it has cooled utterly. (*Footnote 5)

• Launch: Use a knife to loosen the perimeters from the container, then flip the container the other way up. The turnip cake ought to come out in a single piece.

• Serve: Minimize the turnip cake into 1/4” (1 cm) thick items. Warmth a skillet coated with a skinny layer of oil, cook dinner either side over medium or medium low warmth till heated by means of and the floor turns golden. Garnish with sliced inexperienced onion if utilizing. Serve with soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, if desired.

• Retailer: Switch the steamed turnip truffles (with out pan-frying) into an hermetic container and retailer them within the fridge for two to three days, or within the freezer for as much as 1 month. To reheat, thaw the frozen turnip truffles first, and pan fry them earlier than serving.

Ingredient Substitution Information

1. I used a radish that was just below 2-lb (900 g). After peeling and grating, I had 1 lb 4 oz of grated radish to make use of within the cooking. You’ll lose fairly some daikon by peeling and grating, so it’s higher to buy further.
2. I prefer to preserve the sausage items barely bigger for a chewy texture. To slice the sausage, divide it into 3 items lengthwise, then divide every bit into 3 strips lengthwise. Then slice throughout right into a small cube that’s simply barely bigger than minced. In case you favor the dim sum restaurant type, mince the sausages and cook dinner them much less. 
3. A 8” spherical pan works too and it’ll match right into a steamer simpler than a sq. container. The cuts you get from it will likely be much less good wanting but it surely received’t have an effect on the style. 
4. It’s crucial so as to add loads of water to your steamer, as a result of it takes a very long time to cook dinner and the water would possibly boil utterly off in case you don’t add sufficient. 
5. You possibly can slice the turnip cake when it’s nonetheless heat, however the texture will likely be a bit sticky and also you received’t get a clear lower.

Serving: 1serving, Energy: 170kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.5g, Protein: 7g, Fats: 5g, Saturated Fats: 1.6g, Ldl cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 559mg, Potassium: 282mg, Fiber: 2.9g, Sugar: 3.4g, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg

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Lilja Walter is part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook workforce and labored intently with Maggie to develop and take a look at this recipe.