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4 from 1 vote

Vegan Turnip Cake (萝卜糕)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling Time4 hours
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Asian Food, Asian Recipes, Chinese, Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, side dish, Turnip Cake, Vegan turnip cake, 萝卜糕
Servings: 12 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Baking Dish (I used a 2 QT size dish)

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients

  • 10 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 5 scallions thinly sliced, green and whites separated
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 shallot finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Turnip Cake

  • 500 grams daikon radish shredded
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp mushroom powder
  • 1 tsp salt more, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper

Instructions

Prepare the Turnip Cake Filling

  • Start by soaking the mushrooms in hot water for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and save the soaking liquid and use your hands to squeeze out as much moisture from the mushrooms as you can.
  • Dice the mushrooms into uniform chunks and set aside.
  • In a pan, add neutral oil and white stem part of the green onions. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the shallot, garlic and pinch of salt. Cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Add the mushrooms and cook down for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly. Once tender, add the tamari, coconut sugar and toasted sesame oil. Stir to combine and cook down until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and set the mixture aside.

Prepare the Radish

  • Start by peeling the radish completely and then use a box grated to shred your radish. Do this over a bowl to catch any liquid released from the radish. Weigh out 500 grams of radish and add it to a pot or a pan along with 1 cup of mushroom soaking water and any of the radish liquid that came out. Cook the radish for 8-10 minutes, until tender.
  • Transfer the cooked radish into a large mixing bowl. Once again, reserve all of the liquid in the pan and pour it into a measuring cup. Add water (and any leftover mushroom soaking water) until you have 1 cup of liquid and add it to the mixing bowl.
  • Add rice flour, cornstarch and all seasonings to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Finally, add the filling ingredients and mix to combine again. Allow the mixture to sit so the flour hydrates while you prepare a steamer set-up.
  • Transfer the mixture into a greased or lined pan, then steam for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely, then cover and let chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Fry the Turnip Cake

  • After chilling, turn the cake out onto a cutting board and slice into pieces (think brownie sized pieces). Heat a pan with neutral oil and fry each side until golden and crispy. Season with salt and serve with vegan mushroom oyster sauce or chili oil.