Chinese Turnip Cake
Bursting with savoury flavours and delightful textures, these turnip cakes are a beloved classic in Chinese cuisine, perfect for sharing with family and friends. These tasty treats are packed with all the good stuff like radish, mushrooms, sausage, and cured meat. They're perfect for sharing with your friends and family or indulging in all by yourself. I halved my recipe below.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 lbs radish (daikon radish)
- 160 g rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
- 2 tbsp wheat starch
- 25 g mushrooms (optional)
- 30 g dried shrimps (soaked for 10 minutes)
- 95 g Chinese sausages (lap cheong) (diced)
- 75 g cured meat (lap yuk) (diced)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4-1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 cups warm water
Instructions
- Peel and grate the radish to your desired texture. I opted to grate most of it but reserved some to cut into chunks, as I enjoy the texture these chunks provide in the dish.
- Soak the dried shrimps in warm water for about 10-15 minutes to rehydrate and soften them up. Once softened, drain and chop them into small pieces.
- Dice the mushrooms, sausages, and cured meat into small pieces. Then, sauté all the ingredients together, including the shrimp, until they're nicely cooked and combined. Remove with all juices and set aside.
- Mix the shredded turnip with a cup of water in a wok or large pan, then bring it to a gentle simmer. Add in the sugar at this time. Adding sugar at this time not only enhances its natural sweetness but also helps to balance out any bitterness in the radish. Allow it to simmer for approximately 5-7 minutes or until the turnip becomes translucent instead of opaque. It should reach a fork-tender consistency without becoming mushy.
- During this time, get a large mixing bowl, mix together the rice flour and wheat starch. Slowly incorporate 1 cup of warm water to the rice flour and wheat starch while stirring continuously to create a smooth paste, preventing any clumps from forming. Next, add 1 cup of hot water and continue mixing until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Once the radish is cooked, add the flour mixture to the cooked radish in the wok or pan. Stir well to combine, ensuring that all the radish is coated evenly with the flour mixture. Then, add the cooked meats and other ingredients to the mixture. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Grease a 9-inch cake pan and any smaller pans if using. Scoop the mixture into the pans, spreading it out evenly. Place the pans in a steamer and steam for about 30-40 minutes, or until the turnip cakes are set and firm to the touch. Do the toothpick test.
- After cooking, let the turnip cakes cool slightly before cutting them into squares or wedges. I find that chilling them in the fridge overnight helps with slicing. Serve them warm as is or pan-fry until crispy on the outside. Enjoy your homemade turnip cakes with your favourite dipping sauce or accompaniments!