Chinese dim sum places usually have this one, and steamed daikon cake is not as hard as it looks. A good piece is soft and fine textured, fragrant with dried shrimp and pork. The problem is loose batter, which happens when the daikon still holds too much water.
The grated daikon is salted for 5 to 10 minutes and squeezed, and after squeezing it is not rinsed again, which keeps its sweetness. The batter also has to rest for 30 minutes.
This batch weighs about 2.1kg, at roughly 123 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 250g pork belly and marinate it with 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 2 teaspoons minced shallot and 1 teaspoon soy sauce for 10 minutes.
Peel and grate 700g daikon, mix it with 1 teaspoon salt and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, then squeeze out some of the water to soften its sharpness. Do not rinse it after squeezing, so it keeps its sweetness.
Sear the pork golden on all sides without cooking it through, cool it and dice it. Soak 50g dried shrimp in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse them, then put them in a pan with just enough water to cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the water is gone and the shrimp are soft.
Mix 225g rice flour, 30g tapioca starch and 20g cornstarch with 400ml water, stir well and rest the batter for 30 minutes. Season it with 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon MSG, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon lard, and mix through.
Put 350ml water in a pot with the grated daikon, two thirds of the dried shrimp and two thirds of the pork, and bring it to a boil. Sieve the batter into the pot and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens, then add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and finally 1 tablespoon spring onion, and turn off the heat.
Brush a mold with sesame oil, pour in the mixture and level the surface, scatter the remaining shrimp and pork over the top, cover with a layer of banana leaf and steam for 45 minutes. Release the steam and top up the water during steaming.
Insert a skewer into the center, and when the batter on it comes out translucent the cake is done. Scatter spring onion over the top and let it cool completely before cutting.
Tips
Searing the pork before dicing makes it easier to cut and better tasting.
Salt and squeeze the grated daikon, then leave it unrinsed so it keeps its sweetness.
A 30 minute rest for the batter is what makes the cake fine textured rather than crumbly.
Boil the dried shrimp until the liquid cooks away to bring the aroma out, since a quick soak leaves the filling bland.
Cooling the steamed cake and chilling it overnight makes each piece firmer and fuller in flavor.
A skewer pushed into the center comes out with translucent batter when the cake is done.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.