Steamed and Prosperous Preserved Meat Radish Cake

Cantonese-style radish cake with preserved meat, a must-have for Chinese New Year, truly embodies the phrase "rising prosperity"! Looking at this large plate, topped with glistening diced preserved sausage and golden chopped dried scallops, its appearance alone exudes an air of wealth and luxury. One bite, and the sweetness of the radish melts instantly, blending with the savory and rich aroma of the preserved meat, and the freshness of the dried shrimp and scallops swirling in your mouth. The cake itself is chewy and soft, not sticky at all, and leaves a warm feeling in your stomach. This is not only a delicious snack, but also a truly auspicious symbol, signifying that each year will be better than the last—perfect for entertaining guests or enjoying yourself!

Ingredients

Steps

Soaking dried goods. Wash the dried shrimp and scallops in advance and soak them in water for more than 4 hours. Don't throw away the soaking water, as it will enhance the flavor later.
Preparing Cured Meats First, steam the sausages and cured pork for 15 minutes until they are soft, then chop them. This makes them easier to chop and allows them to release oil when stir-frying, resulting in a richer aroma.
Preparing the dried ingredients. Drain the soaked dried shrimp and scallops. To make them blend better with the radish cake, I used a food processor to shred them into fine strands. You can also chop them directly.
Prepare the water chestnut paste. Add 50g of water chestnut flour to a bowl, and mix with 2-3 spoonfuls of the water used to soak dried shrimp to form a smooth paste. Strain the paste through a sieve for a finer texture. Set aside.
Preparing the Radish Peel the white radish, grate 2/3 into thin shreds, and cut 1/3 into strips about the thickness of a finger. This will make it more flavorful.
Stir-frying cured meats. Pour oil into a wok, add chopped cured sausage and pork belly, stir-fry over medium-low heat until fragrant and the oil is rendered. Then add dried shrimp and shredded scallops, stir-fry over low heat until fragrant, then remove and set aside. Do not wash the wok with the remaining oil.
Stir-fried Radish Strips. Using the oil from stir-frying the preserved meat, first stir-fry the thick radish strips, then add the thin radish strips, followed by 400 ml of the water used to soak the dried shrimp and scallops.
Add salt, white pepper powder, oyster sauce, and chicken bouillon to taste, cover and cook for 5 minutes to allow the radish to absorb the flavors.
Prepare the batter. Pour 600g of glutinous rice flour into a large bowl, add the prepared water chestnut batter, then pour in the remaining water used to soak the dried shrimp and scallops, and stir into a smooth batter.
Mix shredded radish. Take out the cooked shredded radish and pour it into the batter, stirring well. Boil the remaining radish juice in the pot, turn off the heat, pour the batter into it to scald it, and stir quickly. This will make the steamed cake more chewy.
Mix the preserved meats. Pour in two-thirds of the previously stir-fried preserved meats and dried shrimp and scallop strips, and mix well.
Mold Preparation Spray some oil into the container for steaming the cake to prevent sticking. Pour in the mixed batter, filling it about 80-90% full, and then sprinkle the remaining preserved meat on top for decoration.
Steaming. After the water boils, put the steamer in and steam over high heat for 50 minutes. This is my recipe; you can halve the quantities.