Chinese New Year Turnip Cake

This recipe is handed down from my mom’s mom. This is NOT a dessert (not sweet), but more like a ‘quick bread’ for the Chinese. This ‘cake’ is usually made and eaten during the Chinese New Year or its slices are usually found all year round among the DIM-SUMs in the Chinese restaurants. You can chill it in the fridge, but it should always be eaten HOT after re-heating either in the microwave, or frying in a few tablespoons of oil. This cake can be kept for 1 week in the fridge (but usually it’s finished within a day!!)

Step: 1

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms, shrimp and sausages and saute for 1/2 minute. Remove from skillet and set aside. Heat 1 more tablespoon oil in wok/skillet. Add ginger and saute a bit. Add shredded turnips and stir fry for about 3 minutes (do NOT remove turnip water). Add 5-spice powder, salt, chicken bouillon and white pepper and toss all together until evenly distributed. Extract ginger slices from mixture.

Step: 2

Turn off heat. Top turnip mixture with rice flour and use chopsticks to toss and mix flour in evenly. Add reserved sausage mixture and toss to mix in. Remove mixture from wok/skillet and place into a 9x2 inch deep round cake pan.

Step: 3

Clean wok/skillet, fill with water and bring to a boil. Place cake pan on a round wire rack over boiling water. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, steaming cake ‘batter’, for 45 minutes. (Note: you can also use a large bamboo steamer if you have one). When ‘cake’ is steamed through, slice into pieces and serve hot OR cool on wire rack before covering tightly with plastic wrap and placing in refrigerator to chill.

Per Serving: 629 calories; protein 19.1g; carbohydrates 74.7g; fat 29.9g; cholesterol 62.2mg; sodium 1504mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always getting bigger as well as white bread.

To make this in a breadmaker , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can start it night before , then clear it off the next day.