TURNIP CAKE RECIPE VEGETARIAN RECIPES

1. Soak the dried shrimps in warm water for 20 minutes to soften, then drain and roughly chop.
2. Peel and finely dice the shallots, then peel and coarsely grate the turnip. Finely slice the chives.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a wok over a medium heat. Add the dried shrimps and shallots and stir-fry until the shallots start to soften.
4. Stir in the minced pork and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until the pork starts to brown. Season with a pinch of white pepper and a pinch of sea salt, then take it off the heat. Set aside to cool.
5. In a large bowl, mix the three flours together with 400ml water until completely combined. Set aside.
6. Pour 900ml of cold water into a large pan, grate in the stock cube and add the grated turnip, sugar, ¼ teaspoon of white pepper and ½ teaspoon of salt.
7. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the pork mix.
8. Quickly stir the flour and water mix into the turnip pan, as it will start to thicken immediately.
9. Once combined, pour it into the foil containers and sit them in both layers of your steamer. Pop the lid on and set it over a medium–sized wok just less than half–filled with water, making sure that the base of the steamer doesn’t touch the water.
10. Steam for 40 minutes over a high heat. Add more water to the wok during cooking if needed – just be careful the steam doesn’t burn you. You can test if the cakes are cooked by pressing the tops – if they feel firm and springy and your finger doesn’t sink in, then they’re cooked. If the cakes give slightly, leave them in the steamer for an extra 10 minutes or so. (You can also insert a skewer into the middle of the cakes and if it comes out clean then they’re cooked.)
11. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the tins before gently tipping them out and slicing them into sections. Typically the cakes are served as 8cm squares, but for a party it’s also nice to slice them into smaller (4cm), bite-size cubes.
12. Place a wok over a medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and stir-fry the cake cubes until all the sides are nicely brown and crispy. Transfer to a serving plate.
13. In a small serving bowl, combine both chilli sauces. Serve the turnip cake cubes sprinkled with the finely chopped chives, with the chilli dipping sauce on the side.

1. First, make the soy maple nuts. Drain the mushrooms, squeezing them until dry, then finely chop and set aside.

2. Put the pine nuts and chestnuts into a large, non-stick frying pan and place on a medium-high heat. Toast for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until golden and fragrant, then add the sesame seeds for 1 minute, followed by the chopped mushrooms, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, maple syrup and ? teaspoon of salt. Continue to cook, stirring, until the liquid bubbles, reduces and coats the nuts and mushrooms, 4–5 minutes. Spread out on a parchment-lined tray and set aside.

3. For the turnip cake, whisk together the first six ingredients with 240ml of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl until smooth, then set aside while you prepare the rest.

4. Place a large saut. pan on a medium heat with the 600g of grated daikon and 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until all the liquid has evaporated (take care not to brown the daikon). Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan. Line and grease a 30cm x 23cm highsided baking tin or baking dish and set aside.

6. Transfer the daikon to the bowl of rice flour mixture, along with 80g of the soy maple nuts, and stir together. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing the top as you go, then seal tightly with foil and place the tin in a high-sided baking tray that is slightly larger than the tin. Pour enough boiling water into the baking tray to rise three-quarters of the way up the sides of the tin of turnip cake – and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tin from the water bath, discard the foil and set aside to cool. Transfer to the fridge for 40 minutes, or overnight, until completely chilled.

7. Turn the cake out on to a chopping board, then cut into eight even slices. Brush the turnip cakes on each side with 4 tablespoons (total) of the oil.

8. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat, then add 1. tablespoons of sunflower oil. Fry the slices in two batches (or more batches, if you can’t fit four slices into the pan), spread apart, for 2–3 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden brown. Keep the first batch warm while you fry the rest with the remaining 1½ tablespoons of sunflower oil.

9. Put all the serving ingredients (except the chives) and 80ml of water into a small saucepan on a medium-high heat and warm through, about 3 minutes.

10. Arrange the turnip cake slices on a large platter, overlapping each other. Pour over half the sauce, then sprinkle over the chives and the rest of the nuts and seeds. Serve at once, with the remaining sauce on the side.