Chinese Daikon (radish/turnip) cake - my family recipe

Chinese Daikon (radish/turnip) cake - my family recipe

Chinese new year is approaching, my dear sister-in-law sent me a package of lovely Chinese decorations, red pocket for my daughter......... So even live in Luxembourg, I can celebrate the Chinese new year a little bit, also a good chance to pass on some Chinese culture to my daughter and my hubby. 

For thanks for her kindness, I grab my daughter to prepare a recipe of Lo Pak Gou, so I can also pass on my family recipe from my GrandMa & my Dad to my sister-in-law and my daughter, eventually my hubby..... 

Radish (Daikon/Turnip)    900gr   (my grandMa always said the heavy the daikon is better) 

Rice flour                           185gr

Corn starch                        140gr

Water                                 2.5 cups 

Chicken stock                    1.5 cups 

garnish :  Chinese dried sausage, dried bacon     about 4-5 sausage (make approx. 1 cup)

Dried shrimp/dried scallop     55 gr 

Dried shittake mushroom      50 gr 

option : dried salted daikon, diced,  to taste 

              5 spices powder

Ginger 1 small piece, peeled

Garlic      1 clove 

Green onion, toasted sesame seeds

Salt & white pepper, soy sauce    to taste 

esce

** remark for flour & cornstarch : totally of these dry ingredients is 325gr,
     more the cornstarch, softer the texture, vice verse. 

     softer texture - good to serve in individual rice bowl like in the dim sum house,

     firmer texture-  good for slice into piece, pan-fry and serve

*** garnish, it is really a matter  of taste. My hubby doesn't appreciate the dried shrimp 

       but  found of dried scallop, so i use 1/2 & 1/2 dried shrimp & scallop,  

       and i love the dried shittake mushroom, so I give a good dose to it 

Dehydrate the dried goods shrimp/scallop and shittake mushroom, cook with little slightly salted water for about 10 minutes. set aside, cool down and finely chopped

Blanch the dried sausage & bacon, finely chopped 

Grate the daikon, (my father will actually slice part the daikon in thin stripes for better and delicate texture) 

In a big bowl, mix the rice flour & cornstarch together 

Add a tbsp of oil into a big wok or pan, cook the ginger & garlic until fragrant, add the sausage/bacon, mushroom & dried shrimp, cook for few minutes, season with pinch of sugar & dash of soy sauce, add in the diced dried salted daikon if used, discard the ginger & garlic, set aside

Using the same wok without rinse it, heat up another 2 tbsp of oil, add in the chopped shallot & grated daikon, season with salt & white pepper, pour in  the chicken broth, cook in medium heat until the daikon soft and translucent. 

while the daikon is cooking, prepare 2 cake mould (about 16 cm), brush with little oil around and the bottom

When the daikon are cooked, remove from heat

Now mix the 2.5 cups of water to the flour mixture

Quickly combine the flour mixture to the cooked daikon, stir fast as it get thick very fast too

Stir in 3/4 of the garnish and mix well

pour the mixture into the greased pan, level as possible (with help of a slightly oiled table spoon) 

Steam over high heat for about 40 minutes, insert a chopstick into the middle part, if it comes out clean, then your cake is done. sprinkle the rest of the garnish, green onion & toasted sesame on the top, continuous to steam for another 5 minutes 

Let them cool down, refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight before you slice and pan-fry them 

to make Lo Pak Gou is very straight forward, you might scare by the recipe, but once you measure out all the ingredients, you know you can do it....

cook the daikon in medium heat until the daikon soft and translucent. 

 Quickly combine the flour mixture to the cooked daikon, stir fast as it get thick very fast too

Stir in 3/4 of the garnish and mix well

the mixture become thick, use a pair of chopstick is the best (my grandMa actually use 2 pairs..) check the seasoning, adjust by adding salt, white pepper & 5 spices powder (if used), it should taste rather rich & full of flavour

 Let them cool down, refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight

now you can slice and pan fried with little oil in a Teflon non-stick  pan preferable

serve with little chili sauce, soy sauce ...but my hubby prefer his favourite Chinkiang vinegar, can't say no....
a bowl of good congee goes well with this yummy Lo Pak Gou

lovely lunch for after church on sunday, my little girly Aiko was fighting for the last piece.....

 And I will buy more daikon and have Aiko practice once.....