Recipe: Chinese Turnip Cake (a.k.a Lo bak gou/ 萝卜糕)

Having spent my last two Chinese New Years in the UK, to say that I've missed the CNY food would be an understatement. I miss the cookies, the cakes, bakkwa (chinese version of meat jerky), reunion dinner, mandarin and most importantly, Chinese turnip cake. Now that I have some spare time in hand, I have decided to make some for my family to get everyone into the Chinese New Year mood.

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, I was really happy with the end product. My tip for this recipe is to put some salt on the shredded turnip to release the water so as to get rid of the bitterness of the turnip. As for frying, you could pan fry it straight without the powder, but I prefer coating it with some rice flour just to make it extra crispy.

On with the recipe!

For ingredients, you will need: 

• 400g Chinese turnip/ Daikon radish (grated)
• 300g Rice flour
• 30g Tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons Dried shrimps (soaked, dried and chopped)
• 5-6 Chinese mushrooms (soaked, and chopped)
• 1 Chinese sausage
• 7-8 Dried anchovy (ikan bilis)
• 800ml Water
• 1 tbsp Garlic (diced)
• 2 tbsp Red onion (diced)
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp White pepper
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil

Wash the anchovies and boil with water in low heat for 15 minutes to make a stock. Set aside to cool. Grate the Chinese turnip, mix with 1 tbsp of salt. Let it rest until liquid comes out. Remove the turnip from the liquid and lightly dry it with a paper towel.

 Dice up the mushrooms, garlic, red onion, sausage, and dried shrimps.

Mix the rice flour, tapioca flour, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 white pepper together. Pour in half of the stock and mix well into a batter.

Heat your pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of cooking oil, add in the garlic and red onion, stir fry for 2 minutes.

Add in mushrooms, sausage, and dried shrimps into the pan, stir fry for 5 minutes.

Add in the turnip and the other half of the stock, season with soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and sesame oil, cook for another 2 minutes.

Turn your pan to low heat, pour the batter into the pan. Keep on stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens.

Pour the mixture into a oiled loaf pan, steam over high heat for 1 hour.

Remove pan from steamer and let it cool for 30 minutes.Gently loosen the sides and turn the cake out onto a chopping board.

Cut it into even pieces, lightly coat each cake with a thin layer of rice flour.

Add 1 tbsp of oil and pan fried both side of the turnip cake in medium-low heat until golden brown.

Serve with Thai chilli sauce, sriracha or Oyster sauce.

Enjoy and Happy Chinese New Year in advance!

Turnip cake (Lo bak gou/ 萝卜糕)

Recipe by Ashley Ooi

Delicious Chinese turnip cake.

Prep time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 400g Chinese turnip/ Daikon radish (grated)
• 300g Rice flour
• 30g Tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons Dried shrimps (soaked, dried and chopped)
• 5-6 Chinese mushrooms (soaked, and chopped)
• 1 Chinese sausage
• 7-8 Dried anchovy (ikan bilis)
• 800ml Water
• 1 tbsp Garlic (diced)
• 2 tbsp Red onion (diced)
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp White pepper
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil

Cooking Directions

1. Wash the anchovies and boil with water in low heat for 15 minutes to make a stock. Set aside to cool.
2. Grate the Chinese turnip, mix with 1 tbsp of salt. Let it rest until liquid comes out. Remove the turnip from the liquid and lightly dry it.
3. Dice up the mushrooms, garlic, red onion, sausage, and dried shrimps.
4. Mix the rice flour, tapioca flour, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 white pepper together. Pour in half of the stock and mix well into a batter.
5. Heat your pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of cooking oil, add in the garlic and red onion, stir fry for 2 minutes.
6. Add in mushrooms, sausage, and dried shrimps into the pan, stir fry for 5 minutes.
7. Add in the turnip and the other half of the stock, season with soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and sesame oil, cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Turn your pan to low heat, pour the batter into the pan. Keep on stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens.
9. Pour the mixture into a oiled loaf pan, steam over high heat for 1 hour.
10. Remove pan from steamer and let it cool for 30 minutes.
11. Gently loosen the sides and turn the cake out onto a chopping board.
12. Cut it into even pieces, lightly coat each cake with a thin layer of rice flour.
13. Add 1 tbsp of oil and pan fried both side of the turnip cake in medium-low heat until golden brown.
14. Serve with Thai chilli sauce, sriracha or Oyster sauce.