Vegan Turnip Cake - Lo Bak Go
You might have seen them being wheeled around at Yum Cha, but these rectangular slices of goodness are one of the most nostalgic dishes I ate growing up. I’ve had variations of these all around the world, but I’d confidently say my mum’s version of Lo Bak Go is probably the best ever. I’ve used my mum’s base recipe (thanks mum!) to make this vegan version – beefing it up with two different types of mushrooms so that everyone in your family can try these delicious little morsels (yes, it’s also gluten and dairy free 😊). These taste so much better when you make them at home, and they can live in the fridge through the week – ready to fry if you’re having some late-night cravings.
Give this recipe a bash if you’re wanting to bring some Sunday brunch Yum Cha goodness to your mum this Mother’s Day <3
Ingredients
1kg daikon
250g rice flour
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
6 dried porcini mushrooms
2 spring onions
½ tsp white pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Method
1) Soak the dried mushrooms in about 1.5 cups of warm water. After 30 minutes, remove the rehydrated mushrooms from the water and reserve the soaking liquid.
2) In a bowl, mix the rice flour with 1 cup of water to form a paste.
3) Grate the daikon, finely slice the spring onions (keeping white and greens separate) and dice mushrooms (removing any hard stems from the shiitake mushrooms).
4) Add oil to a large frying pan and fry the spring onion whites with ½ tsp salt for 3 minutes. Add the diced mushrooms and fry for a further minute. Remove mushroom mix from pan.
5) Add the grated daikon, 1/3 cup of soaking liquid, white pepper, sugar and rest of the salt to the frying pan and fry on medium heat for 7 minutes, or until most of the water evaporates and the daikon turns translucent.
6) Add the mushroom mix, spring onion greens, and rice flour paste to the daikon and mix well. Cook (stirring frequently) for about 1-2 minutes or until the mixture turns in to a thick batter and immediately pour into an oiled 8-inch cake tin and smooth the surface.
7) Steam turnip cake on high in bamboo/metal steamer for 45 minutes – the turnip cake will be done when a wooden chopstick inserted in it comes out clean. Remove cake tin from steamer and cool at room temperature before covering and placing in fridge for at least 1 hour.
8) When you’re ready to serve the turnip cake, remove from fridge and slice the cake into 1.5cm thick rectangular slices. Heat a large non-stick pan with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
Carefully lower each piece into the hot oil and pan-fry each side until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per side). Serve immediately with dipping sides (I’ve used sriracha and black vinegar).
This recipe was created by Dan Dumbrell, check out Dan's instagram here.
