Indulging in traditional New Year cakes, known as nian gau, is considered an essential part of the annual festivities in Hong Kong. The cakes are seen as symbols of promotion and prosperity, so they are eaten during the Lunar New Year to give good fortune in the year ahead.

Sweet nian gau are in abundance during Chinese New Year, but the perennial favourite, lobak gau or turnip cake, is also a must-eat during Lunar New Year festivities. And to enjoy the freshest lobak gau possible, why not have a go at making it yourself?

The Chamber invited Chan Wai Kun, Head of the Dim Sum Division at Fook Lam Moon (Hong Kong), to share his closely guarded secrets on how to make the perfect turnip cake.

Chef’s Profile
Chan Wai Kun, Head of the Dim Sum Division, Fook Lam Moon (Hong Kong)

Chan Wai Kun, known as Master Kun, has been a top dim sum chef for 30 years and is dedicated to using the best quality ingredients in his cooking. The traditional dim sum he excels at making – such as shrimp dumplings (har gow), pork and shrimp dumplings (siu mai), cuttlefish cakes and custard egg yolk buns – are some of the signature dishes at Fook Lam Moon. 

Making of Tumip
Ingredients (for 3 pans)

1. Turnips 3,000g

2. Dried shrimp to taste

3. Dried sausage to taste

4. Dry cured pork belly to taste

5. Cold water 1.5 litre

6. Rice flour 400g

7. Non-glutinous flour 50g

8. Water chestnut flour 25g

9. Salt and white pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Pour the rice flour, non-glutinous flour and water chestnut flour into a bowl. Add half of the cold water to create a batter. Mix well and set aside.

2. Soak the dried shrimp in water until soft and remove the intestine. Discard water and coarsely chop. 

3. Chop the dried sausage and cured pork belly into fine pieces, mix well with the dried shrimp and soak them together in hot water for five minutes. 

4. Discard hot water, then stir fry the shrimp, sausage and meat until fragrant. Set aside.

5. Peel the turnips and cut into chopstick-sized strips. Set aside.

Instructions
1. Sift the batter and pour it into a large bowl.

2. Pour half of the cold water into the large bowl with the turnip strips, and two-thirds of the shrimp, sausage and meat. Stir well into the batter and set aside.

3. Pour the remaining half of the cold water into the wok. Add the remaining turnip strips and bring them to boil until they turn semi-transparent.

4. Turn off the heat after boiling the turnip strips. Pour the contents of the wok into the batter immediately and stir quickly with a spatula until it forms a puree.

5. Pour the puree into a container and steam over high heat for 45 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining third of the fragrant shrimp, sausage and meat on top. Continue to steam for another five minutes.

Tips
1. The proportions of flour and water must be accurate so that the texture of the turnip cake remains light and soft.

2. The boiled turnip strips and water mentioned in Step 3 must be poured from the wok into the large bowl to mix, rather than the other way around. If you pour the batter into the wok, the high heat of the wok will make the mixture solidify too quickly and it will be difficult to stir. Mastering this step is the key to getting a perfectly smooth puree.

3. You can also stir-fry the turnip cake with XO sauce. The cake should be cut into cubes first. Coat the cake with a thin layer of cornstarch and deep-fry the turnip cake before you pan-fry it with the XO sauce. That way you can enjoy an appetizing turnip cake with XO sauce, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.