Savory Pumpkin Cake

May 31, 2018

Chinese turnip cake or “Luo bo gao” is a staple of Dim Sum restaurants. However, in my family the recipe was always made with pumpkin. The consistency of these cakes is much denser and firmer and I like to eat them almost like chips with a spicy dipping sauce such as Sriracha.

The cake can be sliced however you want. I usually slice in thin squares as pictured above, but you can change up the presentation and slice into large “fries”. as well.

You can also cut them up as fries

  • 8 servings
  • 10 mins
  • 60 mins
  • 70 mins
  • Ingredients

    • 16 ounces pumpkin puree, canned
    • 1 pound pork, ground
    • 2 cups chicken stock
    • 1 cup water
    • 1/4 cup dried shrimp
    • shallot
    • 16 oz. rice flour

    Equipment

    Instructions

    1. Sauté the shallot on medium heat. Add the ground pork and dried shrimp and brown evenly. Season generously with salt and pepper.
    2. Combine the pumpkin, chicken stock, water, and rice flour and mix to combine well.
    3. Stir the ground pork into the pumpkin mixture and pour into a cake pan.
    4. Add 1.5 cups of water to the instant pot liner and set the cake pan on the steaming rack. Set the Instant Pot to "Steam" for 45 minutes.
    5. Allow the Instant Pot to natural release the pressure.
    6. Remove the cake pan from the Instant Pot carefully and refridgerate to cool.
    7. Slice into 1/8 inch thick squares.
    8. Deep fry on both sides in about 1/8" of vegetable oil on a skillet.
    9. Serve hot, with Sriracha sauce for dipping.

      Written by Will Chiong who lives and works in New York building useful things.