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turnip cake recipe
- Total Time: 400 minutes
- Yield: 32 pieces 1x
- Diet: General
Description
This recipe guides you to make crispy-edged, tender, and savory turnip cakes from humble ingredients. It’s a satisfying, surprisingly simple homemade classic, perfect for meal prep and expanding your culinary repertoire.
Ingredients
Scale
- 800 g daikon radish (approx. 2 medium), peeled and coarsely grated
- 25 g (0.9 oz) dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely diced (Can use fresh shiitake, rehydrate first for best flavor)
- 15 g (0.5 oz) dried shrimp, rehydrated and finely chopped (Omit for vegetarian version)
- 100 g (1 cup) rice flour
- 50 g (0.5 cup) glutinous rice flour
- 410 ml (1.75 cups) vegetable broth (350 ml for batter, 60 ml for glaze; water can be used)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for the daikon
- 0.5 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce (1 tbsp for batter, 1 tbsp for glaze)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
- 100 ml (0.4 cup) neutral vegetable oil, divided (for pan-frying and shallots)
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (for glaze)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (for glaze)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (for glaze)
- 1 clove minced garlic (for glaze)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (for glaze)
- 100 g (2–3 large) shallots, thinly sliced (for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons sliced green scallions (for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare Daikon: Grate peeled daikon radish, toss with 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, and let sit in a colander for 15 minutes. Firmly squeeze out excess liquid until noticeably softer and drier.
- Rehydrate and Sauté Aromatics: Rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp separately in warm water for 20 minutes. Finely dice the shiitake and finely chop the shrimp. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a pan over medium heat; sauté the diced shiitake and chopped shrimp for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Cook Daikon: Add the squeezed daikon radish to the pan with the aromatics and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and translucent.
- Make Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together rice flour, glutinous rice flour, 350 ml vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, white pepper, sugar, and 1 tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce until a smooth, lump-free batter forms.
- Combine and Prepare for Steaming: Pour the cooked daikon mixture into the rice flour batter and mix thoroughly. Grease an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) heatproof dish or cake pan with a little neutral vegetable oil, then pour the batter evenly into the prepared dish.
- Steam Cake: Steam the cake in a preheated steamer over high heat for 60-75 minutes. The turnip cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the surface looks firm and translucent.
- Cool and Chill Cake, Prepare Garnishes and Glaze: Remove the steamed cake and cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or preferably chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to firm up. While the cake cools, fry the thinly sliced shallots in 50 ml neutral vegetable oil over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Also, combine all gochujang glaze ingredients (gochujang, 1 tbsp soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, 60 ml vegetable broth) in a small saucepan and simmer for 3-5 minutes until it slightly thickens.
- Pan-Fry and Serve: Once completely firm, carefully unmold and slice the turnip cake into uniform 1×2 inch (2.5×5 cm) rectangular pieces. Heat 50 ml neutral vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the slices in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until each surface is beautifully golden brown and crispy. To finish, warm 1 tablespoon of the gochujang glaze with some fresh or rehydrated shiitake mushrooms in the same pan. Arrange the golden-crisp turnip cake slices on a plate, spoon over the glazed mushrooms, and scatter generously with the crispy fried shallots, thinly sliced green scallions, and toasted white sesame seeds.
Notes
To make healthier, use organic daikon and low-sodium soy sauce. This recipe is naturally gluten-free if using certified GF sauces. For vegetarian/vegan, omit dried shrimp and increase shiitake. Ensure daikon is thoroughly cooked and the cake is completely chilled before slicing and frying to prevent sogginess and ensure the best crispy texture. Serve with extra dipping sauce if desired.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Steaming, Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pieces
- Calories: 180 calories
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg