Japanese Daikon Cake (大根餅） – Chopstick Chronicles

2024年2月25日

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This scrumptious steamed daikon cake is the Japanese tackle a well-liked Chinese language dim sum dish. Learn to create it simply at house with this step-by-step recipe information!

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Daikon cake is the Japanese model of chinese language radish cake or turnip cake known as “lo bak go”. It’s a conventional Chinese language dish widespread in dim sum eating places and recognized for its delicate and squishy texture. With its scrumptious flavour and crispy but melt-in-your-mouth texture, daikon cake is a should try to works completely as an appetiser or facet dish when making Asian delicacies at house!

5 pieces of daikon mochi served on a rectangle plate

What’s Daikon Cake

Daikon cake or daikon mochi is a Japanese tackle Chinese language turnip cake. In Chinese language delicacies this savoury cake is usually loved as a basic dim sum dish or served as a predominant course throughout festive celebrations resembling chinese language new yr. In Japan, nevertheless, we eat it as an everyday dish at house or at Chinese language eating places.

It’s made primarily from grated daikon radish and glutinous rice flour with an assortment of different elements. One of many traits of daikon mochi is its scrumptious mixture of flavors that pairs completely with dipping sauce like ponzu and soy sauce.

daikon mochi radish cake served on a rectangle plate

Substances to Make Daikon Cake

Listed here are the principle elements used to make this dish.

1. Daikon Radish: Daikon radish, also called white radish or Japanese radish, is the star ingredient of Daikon Mochi. It’s a root vegetable generally utilized in Japanese delicacies. It has a gentle and barely candy taste and a crisp texture. The daikon radish provides a refreshing taste to the mochi whereas offering a refined trace of spiciness.

2. Rice Flour: Rice flour serves as the bottom for making mochi, which provides this dish its distinctive chewy texture. Comprised of finely floor rice grains, rice flour is gluten-free.

Joshinko rice flour packet on the right and flour in a bowl on the left

3. Shiitake Mushrooms : utilizing shiitake mushroom in daikon mochi provides a burst of umami. Recognized for its distinctive earthy style and meaty texture, shiitake mushrooms are extensively utilized in Asian delicacies and have change into a vital part of this conventional dish. In daikon cake recipes, shiitake mushrooms can be utilized both contemporary or dried. Recent ones provide a chewier texture whereas dried ones present a extra intense taste. The method of rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms earlier than utilizing them within the recipe helps retain their distinctive style. The addition of shiitake mushrooms not solely enhances the general style but in addition enhances the opposite elements.

4. Shrimps/Scallops/Chinese language sausage: These three elements not solely add taste but in addition improve each texture and visible attraction when mixed with grated daikon radish within the cake.　

Shrimps: dried or contemporary shrimps are generally added to daikon muffins for his or her delicate style and tender texture. They supply a seafood aspect that enhances the general taste profile of the dish.

dried shrimp package on the left and dried shrimp in a bowl on the right

Scallops: dried or contemporary scallops are one other improbable ingredient that provides richness and depth to daikon muffins. Like shrimps, they convey a scrumptious seafood essence to the dish however with a barely sweeter observe.

Chinese language Sausage: Chinese language sausage, also called lap cheong or lạp xưởng in Cantonese and Vietnamese respectively, is a dried cured meat extensively utilized in numerous Asian cuisines. Its distinctive smoky-sweet taste makes it a superb addition to daikon muffins because it gives an additional layer of complexity to every chunk. The sausage is normally diced or thinly sliced earlier than being blended into the batter previous to steaming.

5. Dashi (Japanese soup inventory): In sure turnip cake recipes, dashi can be utilized to cook dinner or boil the daikon earlier than incorporating it into the mochi dough combination for added taste.

7. Toppings (elective): So as to add visible attraction and selection to your daikon mochi, you possibly can add toppings like scallions (inexperienced shallots), bonito flakes, or nori (seaweed).

These elements come collectively to create a novel and scrumptious dish that’s loved by many in Japan.

Many of the elements can be found from the Japanese/Asian market or on-line resembling Amazon.

rice flour, potato starch, salt, shredded daikon, chopped hydrated shiitake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms dashi stock, sesame oil, dried small shrimps in bowls

Directions

Right here is methods to make turnip cake.

1: Put together the Daikon Radish : Rinse it totally underneath chilly working water to take away any grime. Pat dry with a clear kitchen towel. Peel the pores and skin off the daikon radish utilizing a vegetable peeler or knife. Grate the daikon utilizing a grater, grate the peeled daikon radish into wonderful shreds. You might also use a meals processor for comfort.

2: To include dried shiitake mushrooms into your daikon cake preparation, start by soaking the dried mushrooms in 1 and 1/2 cup of heat water till they change into pliable. As soon as rehydrated, squeeze extra water and take away the stems (which could be fibrous) and thinly slice or chop the caps in accordance with your desire. Don’t discard the soaking water (this might be used as dashi later).

3: warmth 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil (or vegetable oil) in a pan over medium warmth. Add chopped shiitake mushroom and dried shrimp to cook dinner. Add shredded daikon and the shiitake soaking water (the dashi) to the pan and cook dinner them for a a number of minutes. When the daikon is cooked, drain the cooking liquid to separate from the strong elements. Maintain each liquid and strong elements separated.

4 photos collage showing flying shiitake mushrooms, shrimps, shredded daikon

4: Combine glutinous rice flour, potato starch, and salt in a mixing bowl to mix all collectively. Progressively add 3/4 cup of water whereas stirring repeatedly till you obtain a delicate dough-like consistency.

5 : Add the daikon, mushroom, and shrimp to the dough combination in small batches whereas kneading gently however totally till effectively mixed. Pour dashi inventory (the shiitake water) 1 and 1/4 cup steadily into the blending bowl whereas stirring repeatedly.

4 images collage showing mixing flours and solid ingredients together

6 : Wrap the blending bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for two minutes. Take the bowl out and stir with a wood spatula. Place the plastic wrap loosely once more and microwave for an extra 1 minute. Take away the bowl from the microwave and stir until it’s a mochi like consistency.

4 images collage mixing all ingredients and microwave, and then pour them into a mould

7: Line a mould/cake pan/loaf pan with parchment paper. Fill the mould with the combination made in step 6. Steam it in a steamer for about 30-40 minutes over medium-low warmth till cooked by way of.

8: When it has cooled down, reduce and slice it about 1cm thick. Warmth 1 tbsp sesame oil in a frying pan over medium warmth to pan fry the radish cake.

Tricks to Make Daikon Cake

You don’t want to assemble all of the elements listed above. I didn’t have scallops or Chinese language sausage. I solely used shrimps. Or you possibly can omit the meat elements altogether. It’s also possible to substitute elements. For instance, you possibly can substitute chinese language sausage with char siu or bacon; and katakuriko potato starch could be changed with corn starch.

Daikon Cake Dipping Sauces

Dipping sauces add scrumptious taste to the already scrumptious turnip cake. Listed here are some sauce choices:

Oyster sauce: It is a savory condiment created from oysters, soy sauce, sugar, and different seasonings. It has a wealthy umami taste that enhances the style of the daikon cake. The sweetness from the sugar balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce.

Candy Soy Sauce: When you get pleasure from contrasting flavors, strive pairing your turnip muffins with candy soy sauce. This pleasant mixture balances the pure sweetness of the daikon cake with a savory umami style offered by soy sauce.

Ponzu: to make this dish extra Japanese impressed, pair the daikon mochi with ponzu. It is a Japanese citrus sauce made with vinegar so it has a contemporary and slighty acidic and candy style. You should purchase this prepared created from Japanese retailers or make your individual home made ponzu.

a piece of daikon mochi radish cake picked by a pair of chopsticks

Storage strategies

You possibly can retailer daikon cake in each the fridge and freezer.

Fridge : to refrigerate pan fried turnip cake, look ahead to it to chill after cooking. Then wrap every bit in plastic wrap individually and retailer within the fridge. It’s going to maintain for a pair days within the fridge.

Freezer : Similar as refrigerating, wrap them in cling wrap individually after pan frying and fully cooled down. Put them in a ziplock freezer bag and maintain within the freezer. It’s going to maintain a few month however eat them as quickly as you possibly can.

As a way to recreate the crispy outdoors and mochi mochi chewy texture inside, microwave them to thaw after which pan fry them in a frying pan over medium warmth.