Lo Bak Go

Don't Make These Mistakes

Keep the daikon cooking liquid. It carries the flavour and hydrates the flour.

Overnight in the fridge, without exception. A warm cake cannot be sliced.

Fry it properly — the contrast between crisp exterior and soft interior is the whole pleasure.

How to Make Lo Bak Go

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1. Fry the lap cheong in the oil over medium heat for 3 minutes until the fat runs, then add the dried shrimp and mushrooms and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

2. Put the grated daikon in a wide pan with 100 ml water, cover, and cook 12 to 15 minutes until translucent and soft.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

3. Do not drain it. Stir in the salt, sugar and white pepper.

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4. Whisk the rice flour and cornflour together, then stir them into the hot daikon and its liquid. It will thicken immediately into a stiff paste.

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5. Fold in the fried lap cheong mixture and most of the spring onions.

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6. Scrape into an oiled 20 cm loaf tin and level the top firmly, pressing out air pockets.

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7. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

   Mark done Start 50 min timer

8. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight — this is essential for slicing.

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9. Cut into 1.5 cm slices and fry in oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes a side until golden and crisp. Serve with oyster sauce.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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Why It Works

The daikon is cooked down first and its liquid kept, because that liquid is what hydrates the rice flour — using water instead loses most of the flavour. The cake must chill overnight before slicing: warm, it is too soft to cut and falls apart in the pan.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

The steamed loaf keeps 5 days refrigerated and freezes 2 months. Fry slices from chilled.

Ingredient Swaps

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.

Serving Lo Bak Go

• Oyster sauce or chilli oil
• Hot Chinese tea
• A wider dim sum spread

Still Wondering?

Lo Bak Go Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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