Turnip Cake (Chinese Lo Bak Go)
User Reviews
4.9
Turnip Cake (Chinese Lo Bak Go)
Description
This turnip cake recipe starts by stir-frying dried shrimp, mushrooms, Chinese sausage, and scallion in oil, imparting fragrance and flavor. Grated daikon and water are simmered to soften, then combined with rice flour and cornstarch to form a batter that sets upon steaming.
The mixture is steamed until firm enough to slice. To serve, the cake is sliced and pan-fried until golden and crispy on the edges, adding texture contrast to the soft interior. The savory notes come from the dried shrimp and sausage, balanced with mild sweetness from the radish.
Serving suggestions include dipping the pan-fried pieces in oyster sauce, highlighting the savory and slightly sweet flavors. Turnip cake is often enjoyed as dim sum or a side dish in Chinese cuisine.
Practical tips include making the cake ahead, storing it refrigerated up to three days or frozen for longer. Reheating works best by pan-frying slices again to refresh the crisp exterior.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola or avocado oil; plus more for brushing & pan-frying)
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp (washed, soaked and chopped)
- 3-5 dried shiitake mushrooms (washed, soaked, and chopped)
- 1 Chinese sausage (diced)
- 1 scallion (chopped)
- 20 ounces daikon radish (grated)
- 1 to 2 cups water
- 1 1/4 cups rice flour (regular rice flour—not glutinous rice flour or brown rice flour)
- 1-3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- oyster sauce (for dipping, optional)
Instructions
- Place your wok over medium heat. Add the oil, shrimp, mushrooms, and sausage, and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped scallion, and remove from the wok.
- Add the grated radish/turnip and 1 cup water to the wok. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not brown. It will produce liquid, some of which will evaporate. You should have about 1 cup of liquid left in the wok with the radish.
- In a bowl, combine the rice flour and cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water. For a moister cake, add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, for up to 1 cup total, depending on how moist/tender you like your lo bak go. If adding more than 1/2 cup of total water, add 1 additional tablespoon of cornstarch for every 1/4 cup additional water. (So it would be 1 tablespoon cornstarch if you added 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons for 3/4 cup water, or 3 tablespoons for 1 cup water). Cornstarch helps to bind the radish cake, counterbalancing any additional water you add to make a moister cake.
- Also add the salt, sugar, white pepper, along with the cooked shrimp, mushrooms and sausage mixture, using a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining oil into the batter. Mix well. If you feel the batter is too thin at this point, turn the heat on low to thicken the batter, stirring constantly. It should resemble thick pancake batter.
- Brush a 9x5-inch loaf pan or 8-inch round pan liberally with oil. Transfer the batter to the pan and spread it evenly. Place the pan into a steamer with plenty of water and steam over medium-high heat—50 minutes for a loaf pan or 40 minutes for the round pan. Poke the cake with a chopstick; if it comes out clean, the lo bak go is done.
- Remove the pan from the steamer and let your turnip cake cool and set for 30 minutes Once cooled, loosen the sides with a spatula and turn it out onto a cutting board. It should come out easily. (Covering and chilling the cake in the refrigerator will make turning the cake out and slicing even easier.)
- Use a sharp knife dipped in water to slice ½-inch/1cm thick pieces. I know people who’d enjoy it just like that, but most people pan-fry the turnip cake first. Add a couple tablespoons oil to a non-stick or seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. Fry the cakes on both sides until golden and crispy. Serve with oyster sauce!
Notes
- You can prepare the turnip cake in advance and refrigerate it in the loaf pan for up to 3 days before slicing and frying.
- The cake can be frozen after cooling; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before pan-frying.
- When reheating refrigerated cooked slices, pan-fry them again to restore crispness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 206 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 206kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 38mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 390mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 240mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 30IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 17mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 35mg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.8mg | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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