Lo bak go (蘿蔔糕) is one of the popular Chinese dim sum dishes in Asia made of shredded chinese white radish and plain rice flour. You may see it in the name of “Turnip cake” too but that’s a rare name that we hardly see in Malaysia. Due to locality differences, it may appear slightly different among Asia countries but shared the same popularity especially during Chinese New Year, since the word for radish (菜頭) sound for “good fortune (好彩頭 / 好兆頭)” in Chinese dialect.
In Malaysia, the common ingredients used to make Lo bak go are chinese white radish, rice flour, chinese dried mushroom, shallot, dried shrimp, oyster sauce, salt and ground pepper (some may add in chinese dried sausage). It is a steamed cake but best served by cutting into slices and pan fried. Its flavourful taste does not require any dipping sauce. However chilli or oyster sauce is good companion to give them a final boost too.
RECIPE
Servings/Yields: 12 | Prep Time: ~30 Minutes | Cook Time: ~165 Minutes for Steamer method; ~80 Minutes for Oven method
Ingredients
~300g chinese white radish, shredded
2 pieces Chinese dried mushrooms, washed, soaked until soft and chop into small dices (keep 50ml of the water for use)
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, washed, soaked until soft and dice into small pieces
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
[the Slurry]
1 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 cup water
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
Method
1. Mix all slurry ingredients in a bowl until it forms a smooth paste
2. Saute chopped shallots until slightly browned. Add the dried shrimp and dried mushroom until fragrant
3. Add the shredded radish, fry until the radish starts to soften and become translucent
4. Lower the heat, seasons with salt, white pepper and oyster sauce. Add in the 50ml mushrooms water and cook until radish is soft
5. With lowest heat, add in flour slurry. Stir and mix thoroughly until incorporated (must be fast as the slurry get thicken very fast)
6. Pour it into a well-oiled loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula
[for Steamer method]
7. Place the pan into a steamer and steam over medium-low heat for 120 minutes (it is cooked if a chopstick inserted in the center comes out clean with no batter stuck on it). Remove the pan from the steamer and let it set for about 30 minutes
[for Oven method]
7. Cover with foil, bake it at 180ºC for 45 minutes. Off the heat and leave it in the oven for another 20 minutes
8. Put it aside to cool completely. Once cooled, loosen the sides with a spatula and turn it out onto a cutting board. Slice into the preferable thickness. Fry until both sides are golden and crispy. Serve hot with chili sauce or oyster sauce or as it
* You may adjust the seasonings to taste since everyone has different preference in taste
* Can skip dried shrimp for vegetarian version
* To store, keep it (un-fried) in an airtight container, store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days
smacznego!
bon appétit!
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If you are in Poland and would like to give it a bite, you can order at my EATAWAY