Turnip Cake (Chinese Lo Bak Go)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Neutral oil (Such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil; plus more for brushing the pan and pan-frying)
• 1 tbsp Dried shrimp (Washed, soaked, and chopped)
• 3 Dried shiitake mushrooms (Use 3–5 mushrooms; washed, soaked, and chopped)
• 1 Chinese sausage (Diced)
• 1 Scallion (Chopped)
• 20 oz Daikon radish (Grated; Chinese turnip may be used interchangeably)
• 1 cup Water (For cooking the radish; the recipe may use 1 to 2 cups total depending on moisture and batter consistency)
• 1.25 cup Rice flour (Use regular rice flour, not glutinous rice flour or brown rice flour)
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch (Use 1–3 tablespoons total; add 1 additional tablespoon for each 1/4 cup water added beyond the initial 1/2 cup in the batter)
• 0.5 cup Water (For mixing with the rice flour and cornstarch; add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup, up to 1 cup total, for a moister cake)
• 0.5 tsp Salt (Or to taste)
• 0.5 tsp Sugar
• 0.25 tsp White pepper
• Oyster sauce (Optional, for dipping)

Steps

1. 1

   Place a wok over medium heat. Add the neutral oil, dried shrimp, soaked and chopped shiitake mushrooms, and diced Chinese sausage. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Stir in the chopped scallion, then remove the cooked shrimp, mushrooms, sausage, and scallion mixture from the wok, leaving any flavorful oil in the wok if possible.

3. 3

   Add the grated daikon and 1 cup of water to the wok. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the radish does not brown. The radish will release additional liquid; after some evaporation, aim to have about 1 cup of liquid remaining in the wok.

4. 4

   In a bowl, combine the rice flour and cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water. For a moister, more tender cake, add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, up to 1 cup total. If using more than 1/2 cup total water in the batter, add 1 additional tablespoon of cornstarch for every additional 1/4 cup water: 1 tablespoon total for 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons for 3/4 cup, or 3 tablespoons for 1 cup.

5. 5

   Add the rice-flour mixture to the simmered radish in the wok and stir to combine.

6. 6

   Add the salt, sugar, and white pepper, followed by the cooked shrimp, mushrooms, sausage, and scallion mixture. Use a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining oil into the batter, then mix thoroughly.

7. 7

   If the batter seems too thin, turn the heat to low and stir constantly until it thickens. The finished batter should resemble thick pancake batter.

8. 8

   Liberally brush a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch round pan with oil. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

9. 9

   Place the pan in a steamer with plenty of water. Steam over medium-high heat for 50 minutes for a loaf pan or 40 minutes for an 8-inch round pan.

10. 10

    Poke the center of the cake with a chopstick. The lo bak go is done when the chopstick comes out clean.

11. 11

    Remove the pan from the steamer and let the turnip cake cool and set for 30 minutes. For easier unmolding and slicing, cover and chill it in the refrigerator if desired.

12. 12

    Once cooled, loosen the sides with a spatula and turn the cake out onto a cutting board. It should release easily.

13. 13

    Dip a sharp knife in water and slice the cake into pieces about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.

14. 14

    For the customary crisp finish, add a couple of tablespoons of oil to a nonstick or seasoned cast-iron pan over medium heat. Fry the slices on both sides until golden and crispy.

15. 15

    Serve the turnip cake with optional oyster sauce for dipping.

Notes

The recipe gives a range of water and cornstarch amounts to control texture. Using 1/2 cup water in the batter produces a denser cake with more bite, while additional water creates a softer, more pudding-like texture. The structured data does not specify an exact quantity for the additional pan-frying oil.

Nutrition per serving

• snack
• dim sum
• Chinese
• steamed
• pan-fried
• savory
• dairy-free