This time-honored recipe, a staple during the Chinese New Year, is also suitable for year-round consumption. Here is how I modified my grandmother’s recipe. This dish is wonderful beyond words! Serve right away simply, or drizzling hoisin, oyster, soy, or chili sauce on top.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 35 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 hr 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 3 hrs 10 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 1 10-inch cake |
Ingredients
- 3 cups rice flour
- 4 cups cold water, divided
- ⅔ cup dried shrimp
- ¾ cup Chinese bacon
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 pounds daikon radish, peeled and grated
- ⅓ cup rock sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
- Combine rice flour and 2 cups cold water in a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Mix until smooth and velvety; set aside.
- Soak dried shrimp in 1 cup cold water in a small bowl until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and dry shrimp, then finely chop and set aside.
- Boil enough water to immerse bacon in a small pot, and cook to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and pat dry. Finely chop and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add bacon. Cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Clean the wok and heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry daikon and rock sugar for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water, cover the wok, and steam daikon until just cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add hot daikon mixture to the reserved rice flour mixture, mixing until daikon is well incorporated. Add bacon, shrimp, and salt; stir until evenly distributed. Pour into a 10-inch round cake pan and smooth out the top.
- Bring some water to a boil in a wok. Place the cake pan on the wok rack, making sure the bottom half of the pan is immersed. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Steam until a toothpick goes cleanly through the center, about 1 hour. Check the water level regularly and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water. Remove pan and allow to cool on a rack for about 1 hour.
- You can serve the turnip cake as-is, or pan-fry the steamed slices. To pan-fry, slice the cake into 1/4-inch thick rectangles. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to barely cover the bottom and cook the cake slices until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 369 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 61 g |
| Cholesterol | 20 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 1912 mg |
| Sugars | 11 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |