Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday in Asia and is celebrated in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Burma and many more countries. Like Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a time for families to gather together and eat lots and lots of food. Each dish holds a different symbolic meaning of good fortune. For instance, chicken symbolizes family because the word “chicken” in Taiwanese is “geh,” which sounds exactly like the word for family. And no Chinese New Year spread is complete without a plate of turnip cake, which symbolizes good luck because the Taiwanese word for turnip (“tsai tow”) sounds just like the word for good fortune. When I was growing up, my grandmother made the best turnip cake and I always looked forward to going back home to the southern Taiwan countryside for New Year’s. This year the new year falls on February 8th, so this week I’d like to share with you my recipe for this classic Chinese holiday food that will bring you good fortune in the new year. It always makes a great breakfast!
You will need:
Ingredients: (Serves 3 people)
- 2 cups shredded turnip or daikon radish
- 2½ cups cold water
- 1 cups rice flour
- 3 shallots
- 1 tsp. coarse salt
- ? tsp. white pepper
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- dash of Chinese five spice
- 2½ Tbsp. vegetable oil (plus more for pan frying)
Directions:
Shred the turnip or daikon into small pieces.
Cut shallots into thin strips.
In a large non-stick skillet on medium high heat, fry the shallots with 2½ Tbsp. vegetable oil for two minutes or until shallots are translucent and caramelized.
Now add in the salt, white pepper, Chinese five spice and soy sauce along with the shredded turnip. Cook for one minute.
Stir in 1½ cups of cold water. Turn the heat down to medium low and let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the turnip is soft.
In the meantime, make the rice cake mixture by combining 1 cup rice flour and 1 cup cold water. Stir well until there are no more lumps.
Once the turnip is cooked, stir in the rice cake mixture and remove the skillet from the heat. Stir until the turnip and rice cake mixture thickens.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap and brush it lightly with sesame oil or vegetable oil. I’m using a 8 x 4" small loaf pan here.
Pour the turnip cake batter into the loaf pan. Pack it nice and tight and smooth the top with a spatula.
Steam the cake on high heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Then insert a toothpick; it should come out clean when it’s done. Let it cool completely before cutting into it. Chilling it in the refrigerator overnight is recommended.
Once the turnip cake has been fully chilled, it is ready to be cut and pan fried. Slice into thick pieces.
Pan fry them in batches in a non-stick skillet with a little vegetable oil for two minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy.
Serve them warm with some soy sauce or hot sauce and fresh cilantro.
These turnip cakes are crispy on the outside and soft ad chewy on the inside.
Happy Chinese New Year and may you have good fortune in the year of Monkey!
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