Vegan Turnip Cakes (Lo Bak Go/蘿蔔糕)

Instructions

1. In a pan, over medium heat add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add the white part of the scallions, shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, mushroom sauce and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the green onions. Remove the filling from the pan onto another dish and set aside. 
2. Wash and peel the daikon. Weigh out 600 grams and then set aside 200g. Take 400 grams and shred with a grater or food processor. Take the remaining 200 grams and slice them into match sticks. If you prefer a smooth turnip cake, you can also shred all 600g of the daikon. 
3. Measure out the liquid the shiitake mushrooms were soaking in. Then add additional water until you have 1 1/3 cup. Using the same pan, add the the daikon, water/shiitake water, garlic powder, sugar, dashi powder and salt. Cook for 5 minutes covered, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t brown. When the daikon is cooked, it will look translucent. Fish out the daikon and measure out the liquid. Add water to get a total of 200ml (about 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp). 
4. Make the batter by adding in the rice flour, corn starch and salt to the daikon mixture. Mix until well incorporated. Then add in the filling and mix. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes or until thickened.
5. Stir once more and then pour into parchment lined or oiled pan that fits your steamer basket. You may need to use two small vessels. I used two 6×8 inch mini pans. Place the pan into a steamer and steam over medium high for 30-40 mins (depending on the size).
6. After cooked, remove the pot from the stove and open the steamer basket lid. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then discard any water that may have accumulated on the surface. Cover and let it set in the refrigerator for 1 hour (I usually let it sit overnight). Remove from pan and then slice into ½ inch thickness.
7. You can eat it as is, but it’s most commonly served pan fried. Pan fry the radish cakes over medium to medium high heat until both sides are crispy to your liking. Serve soy sauce, black vinegar, chili crisp oil, sambal oelek and/or hoisin sauce. Enjoy!