MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Turnip Cake
Categories: Chinese, Vegetarian
     Yield: 6 Servings

MMMMM------------------------TURNIP CAKE-----------------------------
          Rapeseed oil
   140 g  Thai rice flour
          -(non-glutinous)
     1 tb Corn flour
     1    1/2 ts Caster sugar
     1    1/4 ts Salt
   200 g  Banana shallots; peeled,
          -halved and thinly sliced
   125 g  Fresh shiitake mushrooms;
          -diced
     2 cl Garlic; peeled and crushed
     1 lg Mooli (400 g); coarsely
          -grated

MMMMM---------------------------SAUCE--------------------------------
     3 tb Dark soy sauce
     2 tb Light agave syrup
     1 tb Toasted sesame oil
     1 ts White-wine vinegar
     3    Spring onions; trimmed and
          -finely sliced; to serve

 Preparation time: 15 minutes
 Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
 Cooling time: 1 hour +

 This is based on a classic dim sum. Sometimes called radish cake, it
 is confusingly made with daikon, more commonly known as mooli. It's
 one of my favourites, and ticks a lot of my boxes: it's sweet and
 savoury, near custardy in the middle, but crisp on the outside. You
 can serve it with drinks as a starter (I have), but it makes for a
 lavish side.

 Note: to make this, you'll need Thai rice flour (not the glutinous
 variety), which is much finer than supermarket rice flour. You'll
 also need a one-litre ovenproof dish (ceramic, glass, or even a foil
 takeaway container), and a bigger ovenproof dish to put it in . To
 get ahead, make this the day before and fry before serving.

 First, lightly oil the ovenproof dish you're going to use for the
 turnip cake and heat the oven to 240 C (220 C fan)/475 F/gas 9.

 Next, make the batter. Put the flour, corn flour, sugar, and salt in a
 bowl, pour in 225 ml water, stir and put to one side.

 Put 2-1/2 tb of oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and, when
 hot, add the shallots and mushrooms, and cook for 8 minutes, until
 soft and threatening to caramelise. Add the garlic, cook for 2
 minutes, then add the grated mooli and cook, stirring regularly, for
 10 to 12 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the mixture is
 looking quite dry. Scoop the lot into the batter, mix well, then pour
 into the oiled dish.

 Fill and boil the kettle. Tightly cover the mooli mix dish with foil,
 sealing it around the edges so no air can escape. Put the bigger oven
 dish in the hot oven, then put the smaller one (with its foil lid)
 inside it. Carefully pour the water from the kettle into the bigger
 dish, so it comes about halfway up the sides of the smaller dish,
 then bake for 40 minutes. Carefully lift out the turnip cake dish and
 leave to cool (leave the water in the bigger oven dish to cool before
 you pour it away).

 Peel off the foil lid from the turnip cake, leave the cake to cool,
 then cover and transfer to the fridge for an hour, or overnight,
 until cold.

 Just before serving, put the soy sauce, agave syrup, sesame oil and
 vinegar in a small bowl and mix.

 Cut the turnip cake into 12 equal slices. Put 1 tb of oil in a frying
 pan, add half the turnip cakes, and fry for 3 minutes on each side,
 until golden brown. Transfer to a serving plate and repeat with the
 remaining slices of turnip cake.

 Spoon a little of the sauce over the turnip cakes on the platter,
 sprinkle on the sliced spring onions, and serve with the rest of the
 sauce on the side.

 Recipe by Meera Sodha

 Recipe FROM: Dinner by Meera Sodha, 2024

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