Lunar New Year Special Turnip Cake Recipe (2024)

• 2 cups (400 grams) long grain rice, such as Thai jasmine

• 2 1/2 cups (600 milliliters) water

• 1/2 cup (100 grams) rice flour

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 kilogram) shredded daikon radish

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• 1 cup (40 grams) dried prawns, softened in warm water, drained, and chopped finely

• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, softened in warm water, drained, and chopped finely

• 4 1/2 ounces (120 grams) pork, minced, marinated with 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon caster sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder

• 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 slice gammon steak, diced small

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Seasonings for mince garnish:

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Seasonings for daikon:

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar

1. Soak Thai rice in 600 milliliters water overnight (at least 6 hours) then use a smoothie machine or blender to blend the rice and water until it looks like soy milk. You can add a little bit of water if you find the rice has absorbed too much water overnight so it’s easier to blend.

2. Mix step one with 100 grams of rice flour and make sure there are no lumps at all. Leave aside once this is done.

3. Heat some oil in a wok and stir-fry the shallots and garlic first until the fragrance comes out.

4. Add shiitake mushroom and dried prawns then stir-fry for a good 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add mince and gammon steak into step four and all the seasoning from mince garnish. Stir-fry for another couple minutes until the mince is totally cooked. Put the mince garnish on a plate and leave it aside.

6. Use the same wok with a little bit more oil and cook the daikon with seasonings. You need to cook the radish until it’s soft and the liquid comes out from the radish. If the liquid doesn’t come out it could affect the quality of the final turnip cake.

7. Add mince garnish into step six after the radish is soft and mix them evenly.

8. Combine step two with the radish and turn the gas power down. Keep stirring until it looks like “paste” and turn off the stove. If you feel the mixture is a little bit dry or too solid, you can add some water.

9. This recipe can make 5-6 (6”x 4”x 2”) tin foil boxes size turnip cakes. So brush a thin layer of oil in the tin foil boxes and pour the rice cake mix into the box.

10. Use a steamer to steam the rice cakes. If you are using a metal steamer or wok, use a clean and wet tea towel to effectively tie down the lid. This prevents water from dripping from the lid onto the rice cake, which can affect the final result. Once the water is boiling under the steamer, steam for around 45 minutes.

11. You have to wait until the rice cakes have totally cooled down to allow you to remove them from the tin (otherwise they stick).

12. Cut your turnip cake into 1-centimeter thick slices.

13. Heat up a little bit of oil in a frying pan or wok and fry the cakes until golden brown color on both sides.

14. Serve with a little bit of light soy sauce or sweet chili sauce. The sweet chili sauce isn’t the traditional condiment to go with your turnip cake but it is tasty.

Recipe Tags:

• cake
• breakfast
• cantonese
• family dinner

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