Daikon cake is the Japanese version of chinese radish cake or turnip cake called “lo bak go”. It is a traditional Chinese dish popular in dim sum restaurants and known for its soft and squishy texture. With its delicious flavour and crispy yet melt-in-your-mouth texture, daikon cake is a must try and works perfectly as an appetiser or side dish when making Asian cuisine at home!
Table of contents
What is Daikon Cake
Daikon cake or daikon mochi is a Japanese take on Chinese turnip cake. In Chinese cuisine this savoury cake is often enjoyed as a classic dim sum dish or served as a main course during festive celebrations such as chinese new year. In Japan, however, we eat it as a regular dish at home or at Chinese restaurants.
It is made primarily from grated daikon radish and glutinous rice flour with an assortment of other ingredients. One of the characteristics of daikon mochi is its delicious combination of flavors that pairs perfectly with dipping sauce like ponzu and soy sauce.
Ingredients to Make Daikon Cake
Here are the main ingredients used to make this dish.
1. Daikon Radish: Daikon radish, also known as white radish or Japanese radish, is the star ingredient of Daikon Mochi. It is a root vegetable commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It has a mild and slightly sweet flavor and a crisp texture. The daikon radish adds a refreshing flavor to the mochi while providing a subtle hint of spiciness.
2. Rice Flour: Rice flour serves as the base for making mochi, which gives this dish its distinctive chewy texture. Made from finely ground rice grains, rice flour is gluten-free.
3. Shiitake Mushrooms : using shiitake mushroom in daikon mochi adds a burst of umami. Known for its distinctive earthy taste and meaty texture, shiitake mushrooms are widely used in Asian cuisine and have become an essential component of this traditional dish. In daikon cake recipes, shiitake mushrooms can be used either fresh or dried. Fresh ones offer a chewier texture while dried ones provide a more intense flavor. The process of rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms before using them in the recipe helps retain their unique taste. The addition of shiitake mushrooms not only enhances the overall taste but also complements the other ingredients.
4. Shrimps/Scallops/Chinese sausage: These three ingredients not only add flavor but also enhance both texture and visual appeal when combined with grated daikon radish in the cake.
Shrimps: dried or fresh shrimps are commonly added to daikon cakes for their delicate taste and tender texture. They provide a seafood element that enhances the overall flavor profile of the dish.
Scallops: dried or fresh scallops are another fantastic ingredient that adds richness and depth to daikon cakes. Like shrimps, they bring a delicious seafood essence to the dish but with a slightly sweeter note.
Chinese Sausage: Chinese sausage, also known as lap cheong or lạp xưởng in Cantonese and Vietnamese respectively, is a dried cured meat widely used in various Asian cuisines. Its unique smoky-sweet flavor makes it an excellent addition to daikon cakes as it provides an extra layer of complexity to each bite. The sausage is usually diced or thinly sliced before being mixed into the batter prior to steaming.
5. Dashi (Japanese soup stock): In certain turnip cake recipes, dashi can be used to cook or boil the daikon before incorporating it into the mochi dough mixture for added flavor.
7. Toppings (optional): To add visual appeal and variety to your daikon mochi, you can add toppings like scallions (green shallots), bonito flakes, or nori (seaweed).
These ingredients come together to create a unique and delicious dish that is enjoyed by many in Japan.
Most of the ingredients are available from the Japanese/Asian market or online such as Amazon.
Instructions
Here is how to make turnip cake.
1: Prepare the Daikon Radish : Rinse it thoroughly under cold running water to remove any dirt. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Peel the skin off the daikon radish using a vegetable peeler or knife. Grate the daikon using a grater, grate the peeled daikon radish into fine shreds. You may also use a food processor for convenience.
2: To incorporate dried shiitake mushrooms into your daikon cake preparation, begin by soaking the dried mushrooms in 1 and 1/2 cup of warm water until they become pliable. Once rehydrated, squeeze excess water and remove the stems (which can be fibrous) and thinly slice or chop the caps according to your preference. Do not discard the soaking water (this will be used as dashi later).
3: heat 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil (or vegetable oil) in a pan over medium heat. Add chopped shiitake mushroom and dried shrimp to cook. Add shredded daikon and the shiitake soaking water (the dashi) to the pan and cook them for a several minutes. When the daikon is cooked, drain the cooking liquid to separate from the solid ingredients. Keep both liquid and solid ingredients separated.
4: Mix glutinous rice flour, potato starch, and salt in a mixing bowl to combine all together. Gradually add 3/4 cup of water while stirring continuously until you achieve a soft dough-like consistency.
5 : Add the daikon, mushroom, and shrimp to the dough mixture in small batches while kneading gently but thoroughly until well combined. Pour dashi stock (the shiitake water) 1 and 1/4 cup gradually into the mixing bowl while stirring continuously.
6 : Wrap the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Take the bowl out and stir with a wooden spatula. Place the plastic wrap loosely again and microwave for a further 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir till it’s a mochi like consistency.
7: Line a mould/cake pan/loaf pan with parchment paper. Fill the mould with the mixture made in step 6. Steam it in a steamer for about 30-40 minutes over medium-low heat until cooked through.
8: When it has cooled down, cut and slice it about 1cm thick. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat to pan fry the radish cake.
Tips to Make Daikon Cake
You don’t need to gather all the ingredients listed above. I did not have scallops or Chinese sausage. I only used shrimps. Or you can omit the meat ingredients altogether. You can also substitute ingredients. For example, you can replace chinese sausage with char siu or bacon; and katakuriko potato starch can be replaced with corn starch.
Daikon Cake Dipping Sauces
Dipping sauces add delicious flavor to the already delicious turnip cake. Here are some sauce options:
Oyster sauce: This is a savory condiment made from oysters, soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings. It has a rich umami flavor that enhances the taste of the daikon cake. The sweetness from the sugar balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Sweet Soy Sauce: If you enjoy contrasting flavors, try pairing your turnip cakes with sweet soy sauce. This delightful combination balances the natural sweetness of the daikon cake with a savory umami taste provided by soy sauce.
Ponzu: to make this dish more Japanese inspired, pair the daikon mochi with ponzu. This is a Japanese citrus sauce made with vinegar so it has a fresh and slighty acidic and sweet taste. You can buy this ready made from Japanese shops or make your own homemade ponzu.
Storage methods
You can store daikon cake in both the fridge and freezer.
Fridge : to refrigerate pan fried turnip cake, wait for it to cool after cooking. Then wrap each piece in plastic wrap individually and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for a couple days in the fridge.
Freezer : Same as refrigerating, wrap them in cling wrap individually after pan frying and completely cooled down. Put them in a ziplock freezer bag and keep in the freezer. It will keep about a month but eat them as soon as you can.
In order to recreate the crispy outside and mochi mochi chewy texture inside, microwave them to thaw and then pan fry them in a frying pan over medium heat.
Japanese Daikon Cake( 大根餅)
Ingredients
- 200 g Shredded Daikon radish
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1½ cup warm water
- ½ tbsp sesame seed oil
- 150 g Jōshinko rice flour
- 2 tbsp Katakuriko potato starch
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil for pan fry
Instructions
Preparing Daikon radish
- Rinse it thoroughly under cold running water to remove any dirt.
- Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Peel the skin off the daikon radish using a vegetable peeler or knife.
- Peel the skin off the daikon radish using a vegetable peeler or knife.
- Grate the daikon using a grater, grate the peeled daikon radish into fine shreds.*1
Preparing Dried Shiitake mushrooms
- Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 ½ cup of warm water until they become pliable.
- Once rehydrated, squeeze excess water and remove the stems (which can be fibrous)*2
- Slice thinly or chop the caps according to your preference.
Making Daikon Cake Dough
- Heat ½ tbsp of sesame oil (or vegetable oil) in a pan over medium heat.
- Add chopped shiitake mushroom and dried shrimp to cook.
- Add shredded daikon and the shiitake soaking water (the dashi)*3 to the pan and cook them for a several minutes.
- When the daikon is cooked, drain the cooking liquid to separate from the solid ingredients.
- Keep both liquid and solid ingredients separated.
- Mix glutinous rice flour, potato starch, and salt in a mixing bowl to combine all together.
- Gradually add ¾ cup of water while stirring continuously until you achieve a soft dough-like consistency.
- Add the daikon, mushroom, and shrimp to the dough mixture in small batches while kneading gently but thoroughly until well combined.
- Pour dashi stock (the shiitake water) 1 ¼ cup gradually into the mixing bowl while stirring continuously.
- Wrap the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes.
- Take the bowl out and stir with a wooden spatula.
- Place the plastic wrap loosely again and microwave for a further 1 minute.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir till it's a mochi like consistency.
- Line a mould/cake pan/loaf pan with parchment paper. Steam it in a steamer for about 30-40 minutes over medium-low heat until cooked through.
- Fill the mould with the mixture made in step 6.
- Steam it in a steamer for about 30-40 minutes over medium-low heat until cooked through.
Pan frying
- When it has cooled down, cut and slice it about 0.4inch/1cm thick.
- Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat to pan fry the radish cake.
Richard says
I really enjoyed making and eating this.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you for making Daikon cake with my recipe 😀