Lo Bak Go, also known as Turnip Cake, is a classic Chinese dish regularly enjoyed at yum cha or during Lunar New Year festivities. This is a dish my mother makes each year, one that I absolutely love. Shredded daikon radish is mixed with savoury pops of lup cheong sausage, shittake mushrooms and dried shrimp, then sliced and pan fried. Delicious and absolutely moreish!
A moreish dish
Lo Bak Go's versatility extends far beyond Lunar New Year, earning it a permanent place in dim sum menus and snack rotations. With each bite, you'll experience a range of flavours and textures that reflect the richness of Chinese culinary heritage.
Actually a more accurate description would be radish cake, rather than turnip cake. Lo Bak Go is a labour of love, but a truly delicious eating experience. The dish itself comprises of shredded daikon, lup cheong, mushrooms and shrimp, along with an array of seasonings. Mixed together in a rice flour batter, and then steamed to create a soft, chewy cake. Cool it down completely before slicing into rectangles and then pan fried in a little oil to give a crispy coating on the outside. Arranged delicately on a plate and enjoyed as is, or dipped into hot chilli sauce.
Lo Bak Go for Lunar New Year
In the tapestry of Lunar New Year traditions, Lo Bak Go holds a special place as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. The Cantonese pronunciation of "turnip" resembles the words for "good fortune" and "prosperity," infusing the dish with auspicious meaning.
Beyond its taste, the preparation of Lo Bak Go fosters familial bonds and cherished memories. Families come together to cook this dish, sharing recipes and techniques passed down through generations. After all, I learnt this recipe from my mother! It is truly a labour of love that symbolises unity and sets the tone for joyful celebrations ahead.
Ingredients
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Dried shrimp
- Boiling water
- Lup cheong sausage
- Daikon radish
- Rice flour
- Corn flour/corn starch
- Sesame oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- White pepper
- Spring onion
- Vegetable oil
- Hot chilli sauce
- Soy sauce
See recipe card below for quantities.
Tips and variations
- Vegetarian version: lup cheong and dried shrimp can be left out of this recipe, or replaced with 2-3 additional dried shiitake mushrooms.
- Prepare in advance: make your Lo Bak Go up to three days in advance by steaming and keeping in the fridge. Pan fry when ready to serve.
Equipment
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Measuring jug
- Wok
- Spatula
- Large and small bowls
- Sieve
- Pastry brush
- Rectangle loaf pan
- Steaming basket
- Fry pan
Watch the video here. If you make this one, don't forget to tag me on TikTok or Instagram. I love to see it!
This recipe is in collaboration with Asian Inspirations.
Lo Bak Go (Turnip Cake)
Ingredients
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 20 g dried shrimp
- 325 mL boiling water
- 1 lup cheong sausage diced
- 750 g daikon radish (weight of whole vegetable with skin) skin removed and shredded
- 130 g rice flour
- 12 g corn starch
- 20 mL sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 spring onion finely chopped
For serving
- 20 mL vegetable oil
- 1 spring onion finely chopped
- Hot chilli sauce for dipping
- Soy sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Rehydrate mushrooms and shrimp by covering with boiling water for at least one hour. Once softened, chop into small cubes. Reserve the flavoured soaking liquid for later.
- Add lup cheong to a wok and sauté, rendering out the fat. Add shiitake mushrooms and shrimp, and cook until they become aromatic. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Added shredded daikon to the wok and toss around until it begins to wilt. Pour in reserved soaking water, cover with lid and let daikon simmer for around 5-7 minutes until it is soft and cooked all the way through.
- Drain daikon, pressing out the liquid - reserve one cup and set aside to cool completely. Return strained daikon to the wok along with lup cheong, mushrooms and shrimp. Stir all ingredients together with the heat turned off.
- Once your strained liquid has cooled completely, add rice flour and corn starch and whisk until well combined. Pour into daikon mixture, along with sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper and chopped spring onion. Stir well before turning the heat back on again to medium low. As you stir, the liquid and daikon should come together to a thick sticky mixture.
- Prepare a rectangular glass dish or loaf pan by brushing lightly with vegetable oil. Transfer in your batter, smoothing out the top. Place dish into a prepared steamer with plenty of water, cover and steam for 60 minutes until cooked.
- Once cooked, remove your turnip cake from the steamer and set aside to cool before placing into the fridge. Allow the cake to cool completely as this will make it easier to slice. I recommend at least six hours, preferably overnight.
- To serve, slice chilled Lo Bak Go into one centimetre thick slices. Brown both sides in a heated frypan with a little oil until warmed through and golden on the outside.
- Arrange on a plate and served sprinkled with extra spring onions and hot chilli sauce and soy sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- I used an 18x13cm glass storage dish for this recipe. You can also separate the daikon mixture across two small Chinese takeaway containers, or a round cake tin.
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