3 Different Turnip Cake Recipes (蘿蔔糕)

1. 魚湯蘿蔔糕 from China: The Cookbook by Diora Fong Chan & Kei Lum Chan

REGION: SHUNDE

PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

SERVES: 4-6

Ingredients

* 1½ TABLESPOONS DRIED SHRIMP

* 2¼ LB/1 KG DAIKON RADISH, SHREDDED

* 1 TEASPOON SALT

* 1 TEASPOON GRANULATED SUGAR

* ½ TEASPOON GROUND WHITE PEPPER

* 1½ CUPS (7 OZ/200 G) RICE FLOUR

* 4 TABLESPOONS GLUTEN-FREE RICE

FLOUR

* 3 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL

* 3½ OZ/100 G GROUND (MINCED) PORK

* 2 OZ/50 G CURED PORK, CHOPPED

* ½ DUCK LIVER SAUSAGE, CHOPPED

* 1 TEASPOON TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

* 2 STALKS CILANTRO (CORIANDER), CHOPPED

* 1 TABLESPOON CHILI SAUCE, TO SERVE

FOR THE FISH SOUP:

* 1 TABLESPOON VEGETABLE OIL

* ½ OZ/20 G GINGER (ABOUT

1-INCH/2.5-CM-LENGTH PIECE), SLICED

* 1(5 OZ/150 G) FRESHWATER FISH, CLEANED AND RINSED

* 1 TABLESPOON RICE WINE

* 30 WHITE PEPPERCORNS

Daikon radishes are also known as Chinese turnips and hence the misnomer of the recipe title. We've provided instructions for the traditional method of using fresh fish soup, but feel free to use 4 tablespoons of concentrated fish stock to save on time and commence the recipe from step

* To make the fish soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the ginger slices, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the fish and brown on one side for 2 minutes, then turn over and brown for another 2 minutes. Add the wine, white peppercorns, and 3 cups (25 fl oz/750 ml) boiling water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until only 4 tablespoons liquid remains. Remove from the heat, strain the soup into a bowl, and set aside.

* To make the turnip pudding, soak the dried shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until softened. Drain, chop, and set aside.

* Combine the daikon radishes, salt, sugar, and white pepper in a large saucepan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes until the daikon is translucent. Add the fish soup and stir.

* Remove from the heat. Once the radish has cooled, gradually add the flours and stir constantly until a paste is formed.

* Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet (frying pan) over high heat, add the ground (minced) pork and dried shrimp, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Put in the cured pork and duck liver sausage and stir-fry for another 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Add the stir-fried ingredients to the saucepan with the radish paste and mix well. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch/20-cm steaming pan and place in a collapsible pot or bamboo steamer over a pot of boiling water. Steam, covered, for 1 hour. (Add more water to the pot if needed.)

* Uncover, then sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and cilantro (coriander) and press down so they stick to the pudding. Cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 30 seconds, then remove the turnip pudding and set aside to cool completely.

* Once cooled, cut into ½-inch/1-cm-thick squares (only cut as much as will be served. The remainder can be refrigerated). Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat and fry the squares for 3 minutes until slightly brown, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until slightly brown. Serve with chili sauce on the side.

2. Law Pak Go by Karen Sezto ( Girly’s previous employer )

Ingredients

Law Pak (turnip) 7 catty

Sausage 6 pieces

Pork Belly 1 piece

Ha mai (dried shrimp) Half a rice bowl

Rice flour 1 pack (600 g)

Wheat flour (dang min) 1 tablespoon

Preparation:

1. Law Pak - half slices and cut thin stripes, half granted

2. Sausage - dice

3. Pork Belly - steam soft and dice

4. Ha mai - soak and dice

5. Rice flour Mixture

How to prepare Rice flour Mixture

Rice flour 1 pack (sift 2 times)

Wheat flour 1 tablespoon

Chicken broth 500ml

Law Pak water 500ml (from frying Law Pak)

Water                                  1000ml

Oyster sauce                                              4 tablespoons

Chicken powder                                 I tablespoon

Pepper a little bit

* Rice flour mixture should be all and all 2000ml together

* Mix the rice flour mixture well. Sift it 2-3 times, to make sure no lumps

Direction:

1. Fry sausage, pork belly and Ha mai in the wok until cooked.

2. Take them out and leave the fatty oil in wok.

3. Fry Law Pak using the fatty oil in wok until transparent.

4. While cooking Law Pak, take the Law Pak water out in a bowl and cool down (to be used in the Rice flour Mixture

5. Turn off fire. Leave Law Pak in wok to cool down.

6. Pour Rice flour Mixture into Law Pak, put back the sausage, pork belly and Ha mai and stir thoroughly until it is cooked.

7. Keep checking the thickness of the pastry.

8. Put in basin and big fire for 45 min.

9. Keep refilling hot water in the wok.

3. Turnip Cake (Chinese Lo Bak Go) by The Woks of Life

   https://thewoksoflife.com/turnip-cake-lo-bak-go/

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola or avocado oil; plus more for brushing & pan-frying)

• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp (washed, soaked and chopped)

• 3-5 dried shiitake mushrooms (washed, soaked, and chopped)

• 1 Chinese sausage (diced)

• 1 scallion (chopped)

• 20 ounces daikon radish (grated)

• 1 to 2 cups water

• 1 1/4 cups rice flour (regular rice flour—not glutinous rice flour or brown rice flour)

• 1-3 tablespoons cornstarch

• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

• ½ teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• Oyster sauce (for dipping, optional)

NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU’RE BUYING THE CORRECT RICE FLOUR

This recipe calls for regular rice flour, that is, rice flour made from white rice. Do not buy glutinous rice flour, which is made with sticky rice (AKA sweet rice). If you use that, your lo bak go will be very gooey and not set properly.

Prepare your shrimp, mushrooms, Chinese sausage, and scallions. Soaking the shrimp and mushrooms in hot water will speed up hydration (it should take about 2 hours).

Grate the Chinese turnip/daikon radish. We just used the largest holes on a box grater.

Place your wok or large pan over medium heat. Add the oil, dried shrimp, rehydrated Chinese black mushrooms, and Chinese sausage. Stir-fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped scallion, and remove from the wok.

Add the grated radish/turnip and 1 cup water to the wok. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not brown. It will produce liquid, some of which will evaporate. You should have about 1 cup of liquid left in the wok with the radish.

In a large bowl, combine the rice flour and cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water. For a moister cake, add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, for up to 1 cup total, depending on how moist/tender you like your lo bak go. If adding more than 1/2 cup of total water, add 1 additional tablespoon of cornstarch for every 1/4 cup additional water. (So it would be 1 tablespoon cornstarch if you added 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons for 3/4 cup water, or 3 tablespoons for 1 cup water). Cornstarch helps to bind the radish cake, counterbalancing any additional water you add to make a moister cake.

Add this mixture to the radish in the wok, along with the salt, sugar, and white pepper.

Also add the cooked shrimp, mushrooms and sausage mixture, using a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining oil into the batter. Mix well. If you feel the batter is too thin at this point, turn the heat on to low to thicken the batter, stirring constantly. It should resemble thick pancake batter. 

Brush a 9×5-inch loaf pan or 8-inch round pan liberally with oil. Transfer the batter to the pan and spread it evenly. 

Place the pan into a steamer with plenty of water and steam over medium-high heat—50 minutes for a loaf pan or 40 minutes for the round pan. Poke the cake with a chopstick; if it comes out clean, the lo bak go is done.

See our post on how to set up a steamer if you’re not familiar with steaming foods in Chinese cooking.

Remove the pan from the steamer and let your turnip cake cool and set for 30 minutes. Once cooled, loosen the sides with a spatula and turn it out onto a cutting board. It should come out easily. (Covering and chilling the cake in the refrigerator will make turning the cake out and slicing even easier.)

Use a sharp knife dipped in water to slice ½-inch thick pieces. I know people who’d enjoy it just like that, but most people pan-fry them first. Add a couple tablespoons oil to a non-stick or seasoned cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Fry the cakes on both sides until golden and crispy.

Serve with oyster sauce! You could even serve it with chili oil or chili garlic sauce for spice fiends. It may not be traditional, but it’s tasty.