Steamed Turnip Cake
A savory-sweet Chinese cake made from turnips, rice flour, and soy sauce, steamed until tender and sliced thick. Serve warm with chili oil and scallions for an authentic dim sum experience.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 185
- Protein
- 3g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb turnips
- 1.5 cups rice flour
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 cup water
- 3 stalks scallions
- 4 whole dried shiitake mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- 1
Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl and pour 1/2 cup hot water over them; let them soak until soft, about 5 minutes, so they release their flavor.
- 2
Peel the turnips with a vegetable peeler, holding each one over the trash so skin falls away. Slice off the top and bottom of each turnip with a knife.
- 3
Cut each turnip lengthwise into quarters, then cut each quarter crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick half-moon slices, so they are thin enough to steam quickly.
- 4
Drain the mushroom soaking liquid into a measuring cup and set aside; it should measure about 1/2 cup. Remove the mushroom caps, discard the hard stems, and chop the caps into pieces the size of a lentil.
- 5
Slice the scallions crosswise into thin rings, separating the white and light-green parts from the darker green tops; keep them in two separate piles.
- 6
Pour the reserved 1/2 cup mushroom soaking liquid plus 1/2 cup fresh cold water into a large bowl—you now have 1 cup total liquid.
- 7
Stir the soy sauce and sesame oil into the liquid until they dissolve completely, about 30 seconds of stirring, so the flavors are evenly distributed.
- 8
Pour the rice flour into the liquid while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until no lumps remain and the mixture looks like thick pancake batter, about 1 minute.
- 9
Add the sliced turnips, chopped mushrooms, white and light-green scallion parts, salt, and white pepper to the batter; fold gently with the wooden spoon until all turnip slices are coated.
- 10
Fill a large pot or steamer with 2 inches of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat, about 5 minutes; you should see large, vigorous bubbles breaking the surface.
- 11
Pour the turnip-rice flour mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan or steamer-safe bowl, smooth the top with the back of a spoon, and place it gently into the steamer basket.
- 12
Cover the steamer tightly with a lid and steam over high heat for 30 minutes; the cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 13
Carefully remove the steamer from the heat using oven mitts or kitchen towels, since steam inside is very hot; let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- 14
Run a thin knife or spatula around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then slide it onto a cutting board.
- 15
Cut the cake into thick slices about 3/4 inch wide using a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts so edges stay neat.
- 16
Arrange the slices on a serving plate, scatter the dark-green scallion tops over the top, and drizzle with a little sesame oil if desired.
Tools you’ll need
- vegetable peeler
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- small bowl
- large bowl
- wooden spoon
- large pot or steamer
- steamer basket
- 9-inch round cake pan or steamer-safe bowl
- lid for steamer
- oven mitts or kitchen towels
- toothpick
- spatula
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