[Recipe] Making Chinese Dim Sum Dish - Turnip Cake

Chinese Radish Turnip Cake, known as ''Lo Bo Gao'' or "Lo Bak Go" in Cantonese, is a popular Chinese dish often enjoyed during the Lunar New Year and other festive occasions. This savory cake features shredded radish (daikon) or turnip combined with a flavorful batter made from rice flour. The cake is steamed until firm and can be enjoyed in various ways, such as pan-frying for a crispy exterior. In Taiwan it's also served as part of breakfast.

Ingredients:

600g turnip

70g minced meat

30g Chinese mushrooms

Flour Mix:

1.5 teaspoons salt

30g sugar

240ml water

150g turnip cake powder (120g rice flour, 25g wheat starch)

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. Soak the dried mushrooms until fully hydrated.

2. Peel and shred the turnip, setting it aside for later.

3. Once hydrated, drain the mushrooms (retain the soaking water) and chop them into smaller pieces.

4. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients in the flour mix to form a batter.

5. Add the batter to the turnip mixture and thoroughly combine.

6. Fry pork mince and mushrooms until fragrant. Set aside.

7. Fry the grated turnip until translucent.

8. Add the pork and mushrooms back in, stirring everything together.

9. Pour in the flour mix and cook for a few minutes to condense.

10. Brush some oil on the surface of the container you will use for steaming.

11. Spoon the turnip mix into the container, leveling the top.

12. Cover with aluminum foil.

13. Steam the turnip mixture over medium heat for about an hour.

14. Allow it to cool down and refrigerate for a few hours to let it firm up.

15. Cut the turnip cake into slices.

16. Pan-fry both sides until golden brown.