When is a turnip cake not a turnip cake at all? When it is made with daikon radish. The vegetable the Chinese refer to as a turnip or law bok closely resembles the Western daikon radish. Law Bok Gow or daikon radish cake, is a dim sum and Chinese New Year favorite. Radish is a homophone for the Cantonese word that means increasing good fortune. It is a steamed cake flecked with Chinese sausage, dried shrimp and scallions. Some versions also include shiitake mushrooms as well.
Two ingredients, Chinese sausage and dried shrimp may not be common to the Western kitchen, but they are readily available in most Asian markets. Chinese sausage, or lap cheong in Cantonese, is a dried, hard cured sausage (think salami or pepperoni) with a high fat content and a sweet flavor. Dried shrimp or xia mi are said to have the fifth flavor also refered to as umami. They are sold shell and all, in the refrigerated section of Asian markets. The flavor is very concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
Finely chopped sausage is added to a hot skillet and browned, then the dried shrimp and scallions are added.The daikon radish is grated, then chopped and cooked to mellow out the flavor and release excess moisture. The daikon, sausage, shrimp and scallions are added to the batter of rice flour and water.
Be sure to use rice flour, not glutinous rice flour. Rice flour and glutinous rice flour are both made from rice and therefore gluten-free. Rice flour is made from medium or long grain rice and is mainly used in baked goods. Glutinous rice flour is made from short grain rice, the kind used in sushi. It has a high starch content and adds moisture and density to baked goods and is used to make the Japanese dessert, mochi. For the turnip cake, rice flour is used, read your bag carefully.
Pour the mixture into a well greased 9 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ cake pan. The cake is steamed until firm to the touch, about 45 minutes. When steaming for a long period of time, you will have to occasionally add water to the base of your steamer. Keep a small pot of simmering water on the stove for this purpose. I set a timer to check my water supply every ten minutes or so. Once the cake has cooled it removes easily from the pan. It can be eaten, as is, but I prefer to pan fry the slices, giving the exterior a nice crunch to contrast with the soft interior. Serve with spicy herb soy sauce or prepared hoisin or soy sauce.
Golden Crisp Daikon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb daikon (Asian white radish), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Chinese sweet pork sausages (lop chong), cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3 ounces)
- 1/2 c finely chopped green onions (about 3 large)
- 2 T small dried shrimp, finely chopped
- 1 c water
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 1/2 c rice flour (not glutinous)
Directions
- Fit processor with large-hole grating disk. Working with a few pieces of daikon at a time, place daikon pieces in feed tube and process until coarsely grated. Transfer daikon to bowl. Replace grating disk in processor with metal blade. Return daikon to processor and finely chop, using on/off turns.
- Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage cubes to skillet and sauté until fat renders and sausage browns, about 5 minutes. Add green onions and dried shrimp; stir 1 minute. Add daikon with juices and 1/2 cup water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until daikon is soft and liquid is almost evaporated, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spray 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Whisk rice flour and remaining 1 cup water in large bowl until well blended. Stir in daikon mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread daikon mixture evenly in prepared pan. Place cake pan on bamboo steamer rack set over wok filled halfway with simmering water or on metal rack set over simmering water in pot. Cover with lid; steam over medium heat until cake is set and firm to touch, occasionally adding more water to wok or pot as needed, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from steamer; cool cake in pan 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate daikon cake in pan overnight.
- DO AHEAD Daikon cake and sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.
- Run small knife around daikon cake to loosen. Invert onto cutting board. Cut cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices (not wedges), then cut each slice crosswise into 2-inch-long pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add daikon cake slices to skillet and cook until golden brown, adding more oil to skillet for each batch as needed, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer slices to platter. Serve herb soy sauce alongside for dipping.
Spicy Herb Soy Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 c soy sauce
- 1 T Asian toasted sesame oil
- 2 T (or more) vegetable oil, divided
- 1 c fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 T grated peeled fresh ginger, juices included
- 2 small Thai red chiles, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, thinly sliced crosswise or 1 T hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
Directions
- Whisk soy sauce and sesame oil in small bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add cilantro, ginger with juices, and chiles or hot chili sauce; stir 30 seconds. Mix ginger mixture into soy sauce.
- Ingredients ready to saute.
- Saute the sausage until browned.
- There are two types of rice flour, this recipe calls for regular (red label), not glutinous rice flour
- Yes, glutinous rice is gluten-free!
- Add the daikon radish and saute until the liquid evaporates.
- Be sure your steamer is large enough to allow steam to rise and cook the cake.
