Use supermarket brown rice flour for firm texture. Opt for white rice color if you want tenderness. Review the main post for tips on steaming the cake mixture and more!
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6
Equipment
Steamer
Ingredients
1 ¼ouncesdried shiitake mushroom,soaked overnight in 2 cups water
½cupchopped shallot or red onion
2tablespoonscanola oil or peanut oil,plus more for pan-frying
Fine sea salt
⅓cupchopped cilantro leaves and stems
1pounddaikon radish
One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth,or 2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon paste
1teaspoonsugar
Rounded ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 ½cups(8 ounces) brown rice flour
½cup(3 ounces) potato starch
Soy sauce or Maggi Seasoning sauce
Hot sauce,such as chile garlic sauce or sriracha
Instructions
Gently squeeze the mushrooms to release absorbed water, reserving the soaking water. Finely chop the caps and stems. Set near the stove with the shallot.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When barely shimmering, add the shallot and then cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until mostly golden and fragrant. Add the mushroom and season with ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, stir and cook for 1 minutes to develop flavor. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
Peel the daikon and use a food processor (or a box grater) to grate the daikon as small as possible. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Gather and position it over a large measuring cup, twist to squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Dump the daikon into a medium-large (about 3-quart) pot.
Decant the reserved mushroom soaking liquid into the cup with the daikon water. Add the chicken broth and water to make 3 ½ cups. (Or, add the vegetable bouillon paste and enough water to make 3 ½ cups.) Pour into the pot of daikon and add the ½ teaspoon salt, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the rice flour and starch in a bowl. Also, you’ll need one or two molds (8 cup capacity total) to cook the cake. It (or they) need to fit into your steamer set-up. Lightly oil the containers.
Uncover the pot of daikon, and add the shallot, mushroom, and cilantro mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Taste and add up to ¼ teaspoon salt for a good savory flavor. Then, in 3 or 4 portions, stir in the rice flour and starch, making sure there’s no visible powderyness between additions. Things will stiffen and lumps are ok.
Use a spatula to transfer a quarter of daikon cake mixture to the prepared pans, pressing as you go to compact the mixture. Continue adding more of the mixture, pressing to eliminate air pockets. Leave at least ½ inch of space unfilled because the mixture will expand.Steam over boiling water for 45 to 60 minutes, until the mixture rises a bit and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Turn off the heat, let cool for 10 minutes before removing to a rack. Partially cover and let cool completely. Cover and chill overnight to easily and cleanly slice.
Run a knife around the edge and unmold like a cake onto a cutting board. Use a knife to slice a good ½ inch thick. Cut as much as you want to eat, then store the rest uncut. Cut rectangles or squares, whatever you prefer.
To pan-fry, use a nonstick skillet (choose a size to suit the number of slices you're cooking) and enough oil to thinly film. Heat over medium-high and when shimmering adding the daikon cake slices. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until crispy and richly browned. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan, as needed. Eat with soy sauce and hot sauce.