Dim Sum Classic Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go)
Chinese turnip cake is a dim sum classic worth making at home. It is a flavorful rice cake made with shredded radish and loaded with various meats, such as sausage, scallops, cured pork, and shrimp. You'll love its umami and savory flavors, as well as its soft and chewy texture.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 150 grams of rice flour
- 50 grams of cornstarch
- 200 grams of water
- 500 grams of radish (peeled and shredded)
- 100 grams of Chinese sausage
- 80 grams of Chinese cured pork
- 50 g Dried scallops (option)
- 50 g Dried shrimp (option)
- Cooking oil for sautéing
- A bowl of water for sautéing
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper powder
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Make the batter by mixing the rice flour, cornstarch, and water until well combined.
- 2
Chop and peel the radish and cut it into thin shreds.
- 3
In a non-stick pan, sauté the Chinese sausage, Chinese cured pork, dried scallops, and dried shrimp with a bit of oil. You can also omit the oil since the sausage and cured pork will release its fat and serve as oil.
- 4
Then, add the shredded radish to the sautéed meat and cook until soft. Cooking the radish thoroughly is important so that it does not release more water in the batter. The extra water released can alter the water and flour ratio and change the texture.
- 5
Pour a bowl of water into the pan.
- 6
Season with salt, sugar, and black pepper powder to taste.
- 7
Mix thoroughly and cover the pan with a lid to let it cook until tender.
- 8
Next, combine the mixture with the batter and mix until well combined.
- 9
Prepare a tray for steaming and transfer the mixture into it.
- 10
Flatten the top of the mixture to have an even finish.
- 11
Steam the mixture on high heat for about 20 minutes.
- 12
After steaming, top it with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
- 13
Let it cool slightly before slicing it into rectangular pieces for serving.You can also let it cool in the fridge overnight to make it firmer. Once it is firm, you can pan-fry the slices of turnip cake with a bit of oil to have a crispier outer layer.