Turnip Cake is a savoury celebrated food we eat at Chinese New Year. Traditionally, it is made of fresh turnip and lots of preserved meat. However, I don't digest meat well. So I made this vegan version, and I would say it tastes as wonderful as the traditional one.
This recipe relies on the strong flavour of the water reserved from the rehydration of the shiitake mushrooms and daylily. So please do not substitute it with fresh water. Otherwise, the flavour of the cake will be compromised. Also, the mushroom stems are edible although they are usually harder in texture. Try to soak the mushrooms overnight to help soften the stem before using them.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Chinese Turnip, peeled and grated (about about 4 cups after grated)
15 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
1 cup Dried Daylily
2 cups Dried Wood Ears
1 cup Preserved Radish
5 stalks Green onion, thinly sliced
1 head Garlic, peeled and minced
2 inches long Ginger, peeled and minced
2.5 cups Tsai Lai Rice Flour
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
SEASONING:
5 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Shaoxing Wine
1 tablespoon White Pepper Powder
1 tablespoon Roasted Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Sugar
材料：
1 條 白蘿蔔 (刨絲後約4杯)
15 朵 乾冬菇
1 杯 金針
2 杯 乾木耳
1 杯 菜脯
5 棵 蔥
1 頭 蒜頭，去皮，磨蓉
2 吋長 薑，去皮，磨蓉
2.5 杯 在來米粉
1/4 杯 菜油
調味料：
5 湯匙 豉油
3 湯匙 紹興酒
1 湯匙 白胡椒粉
1 湯匙 麻油
1 茶匙 鹽
3 湯匙 糖
DIRECTION 做法:
Prior to cooking 預備功夫...
1. Soak shiitake mushrooms in water until they are rehydrated. Then, wash off the sand on the mushrooms using the water they are soaking in (not fresh water). Squeeze the water from the mushrooms and dice them. Reserve the soaking liquid.
1. 乾冬菇浸水至軟身。在浸過冬菇的水中把沙粒從冬菇洗出，擠乾水份，留起浸過的水。把冬菇切幼粒。
2. Add the dried daylily in the preserved soaking liquid to rehydrate until they are soft. Squeeze out and preserve the liquid again for later use. Rinse the daylily under running water. Cut off and discard the hard ends, and cut the daylily into small pieces. Set aside.
2. 把金針放到浸過冬菇的水中浸至軟身；擠乾水份，浸過的水留起備用。金針過水洗淨，切去尾部較硬的部份，再把金針切成小段。
3. Meanwhile, soak the dried wood ear in warm water until they are rehydrated. Discard the water. Rinse off the sand from the wood ear under running water. Cut and discard the hard stem of each wood ear and chop it into small pieces. Set aside.
3. 同時間，木耳在另一只碗水用暖水浸軟。把水倒掉，木耳用水洗淨。把木耳切成小粒。
4. In a large bowl, filer the preserved liquid through a piece of kitchen paper.
4. 在一只大碗中放上一塊廚紙，慢慢倒入浸過冬菇和金針的水，讓廚紙濾去水中的雜質。
5. 把在來米粉加入濾過的水；拌勻至幼滑。
5. Combine Tsai Lai rice flour and the liquid; mix well. The mixture should be runny.
6. Brush a layer of vegetable oil on the steamed mold.
6. 在焗模上掃上一層菜油。
Cooking 煮法...
7. In a large non-stick pan, heat up vegetable oil over high heat. Add mushrooms, daylily, wood ears, ginger and garlic. Stir fry until they are fragrant and soft; about 10 minutes. Add all the seasoning. Continue to stir fry until it is well mixed and the sauce is absorbed.
7. 在一只易潔鍋中，用大火燒熱菜油。加入冬菇、金針、木耳、薑和蒜。炒至香氣四溢和軟身；約10分鐘。下調味料；繼續炒至汁收乾。
8. 把冬菇料倒入一只碗中，加入蔥備用。
8. Transfer the vegetable mixture into a bowl. Add the green onion in the bowl.
9. In the same pan, add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add grated radish. Cook until the radish is totally soft and releases its liquid; about 10 minutes.
9. 在同一只鍋中，下2湯匙菜油。下蘿蔔絲，炒至其軟身和出水；約10分鐘。
10. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cooked vegetable mixture along with the green onion back to the pan; mix well.
10. 火調低至中低火。冬菇料回鍋，與蘿蔔絲拌勻。
11. Stir in Tsai Lai rice flour mixture. Cook until the mixture is thick and paste-like; stirring consistently. Remove the pan from the heat.
11. 倒入粉漿；繼續拌至呈漿糊狀; 離火。
12. Pour the mixture evenly into the muffin tin (or a tin tray). Cover the tray with foil and place the tray on top of another bigger tray. Fill the bottom tray with a thin layer of water. Place it into the pre-heated oven.
12. 將粉漿平均倒入焗模，蓋上錫紙。把焗模放到另一只焗盤內，再倒入少許水。焗盤放進已預熱至360F的焗爐內。
13. Steam the lo bak go at 360F for about 25 minutes and they are ready.
13. 焗約25分鐘便完成。
Kung Hei Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year!
新年快樂！
