Kue Lobak ( Radish Cake )

I spent my secondary  in a school which then, 80% of the students were Chinese. Yes, in Pematang Siantar...., and the school was "Perguruan Sultan Agung".... Some thirty years later it is still there and expanding..

In our school canteen, often they prepared noodles, nasi lemak and this kue lobak but most of the time it was Chinese style breakfast. I got hooked into noodles and loved kue lobak for my breakfast.

Now, every time we go to a dim sum restaurant, I'll order this cake without fail. Just love the taste and flavor of the radish.

With the help of my Chinese friend, I eventually able to make it, and it taste much better than what I used to have. This recipe is rustic, if you wish to have it smoother, grate the radish finer.

You will need  /  Bahan yang diperlukan 

  

2kg  radish

         lobak, parut dan tiriskan

300g rice flour

         tepung beras

50g corn starch

         tepung maizena

6 pcs dried shiitake mushroom, rinse and soak in hot water,

         jamur Hio Ko, cuci dan rendam air panas, (simpan airnya)

30g dried shrimps, wash, and soak in hot water, cincang halus

         udang kering, cuci dan rendam air panas

10 shallots, finely sliced

          bawang merah, Rajang halus

700 ml water ( excess water of radish and mushroom)

         air (dari perasan lobak dan rendaman jamur)

Radish : Peel, rinse, shred (I use food processor for cutting, which helps complete the task in just a few minutes, hence it is rustic).


Saya menggunakan food processor untuk memarut lobak, hasilnya lebih kasar (rasa lebih intense), jika menyukai tekstur yang lebih halus dan lembut, gunakan parutan tangan atau dapat juga diblender.

                                        

Rest all the turnip strips in a colander  to drain and collect its juice ( I help it by squeezing ) reserve its juice for combining with the rice flour and corn starch.

Letakan dalam saringan supaya air menetes ( saya peras dengan tangan supaya lebih kering), dan tampung karena akan digunakan untuk mencairkan tepung.

                                      

dried shiitake mushrooms – rinse, soak in 250 ml warm water for  an hour or until soft, squeeze water in them and finely chopped, reserve water



Rendam jamur dengan 250 ml air hangat selama 1 jam atau sampai lunak, peras airnya (simpan airnya), cincang halus.

Heat 3 table spoons of oil in wok over medium heat, sauté shallots till fragrant followed by  shrimps, mushrooms stir fry till they are also fragrant, keep stir frying. As all of them turn golden, about 3 minutes, toss in the radish, add seasonings, and stir well. In about another 5 minutes, the radish will be softened.


Panaskan minyak untuk menumis bawang merah sampai harum, kemudian udang kering dan jamur. Lanjutkan menumis sampai kekuningan (kira-kira 3 menit), masukkan lobak aduk lagi  selama 5 menit. Lobak sudah lembut.

Meanwhile, combine the corn starch and rice flour with water (inclusive of those collected from draining the radish and soaking the mushrooms). Stir and mix well until smooth (no lumps). Set aside.


Sementara itu, campurkan tepung maizena dan tepung beras dengan air ( dari perasan lobak dan rendaman jamur). Aduk rata sampai halus, tidak ada gumpalan. Sisihkan

Turn to low heat, slowly stir in flour mixture into the radish (give the mixture a good stir before pouring in to avoid flour settling at the bottom). Turn and mix well until all incorporated, almost like a sticky dough. Turn off heat.


Kecilkan api, sedikit demi sedikit masukkan campuran tepung ke wajan, aduk rata agar tepung tidak mengendap dibawah. Jika adonan sudah mengental dan berat, matikan api.

Grease dish for steaming (mine is a 22cm diameter, 6cm depth, non stick spring form pan). Transfer the radish batter into the pan, flatten it into same height. Steam over high heat for 40 minutes.


Minyaki cetakan untuk mengukus adonan lobak, saya gunakan cetakan non stick berukuran 22 cm diameter, tebal 6 cm. Masukkan adonan kedalam cetakan sambil ditekan-tekan hingga permukaan rata. Kukus dengan api besar selama 40 menit. 

 Let cool, chill it in fridge, invert from dish. I'll leave to cool over night to make it really firm (easier to cut),  then cut into 1cm thick slices and pan fry.

Biarkan dingin, simpan dalam kulkas, keluarkan dari cetakan. Saya biarkan satu malam, sampai benar-benar dingin (supaya lebih mudah dipotong), kemudian potong setebal 1 cm dan goreng dengan sedikit minyak.

Sajikan selagi hangat dengan sambal cuka.