Stir-Fried Turnip Cakes ขนมผักกาด

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A Little Known Thai Street Food

When people go to Thailand, and often make sure they get to try Pad Thai. But many may not realize that at some of those Pad Thai vendors, there is another dish on the menu that is almost like a hidden gem, ordered only by locals. That dish is called Kanom Pakkaad, or Kanom Huapakkaad for the long version. It’s basically an immensely satisfying stir-fry that uses cubes of Chinese turnip cakes. Yes, the same turnip cakes that you often see at dim sum restaurant, also known as lo bak go, radish cake, daikon cake, or even carrot cake (but no, there is no carrot in it).

I’ve already shown you how to make my mother-in-law’s epic turnip cakes, and with that, this recipe is a breeze. Though I must caveat it with the fact that MOST places that sell kanom pakkaad in Thailand will use turnip cakes that are relatively plain in comparison to my pimped out, luxury version with dried scallops, dried shrimp, Chinese sausage and shiitake mushrooms. On the street, the turnip cakes used may be plainly made with just daikon, or they may have a little bit of dried shrimp and/or shiitake mushrooms. I’ve seen some vendors add boiled peanuts, but there’s definitely not gonna be any dried scallops involved!
So what I’m really saying is…my recipe is unlike anything you will find on the street, and in a good way!
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kanom pakkaad, stir-fried turnip cakes, ขนมผักกาด

Stir-Fried Turnip Cakes ขนมผักกาด

  • Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
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Ingredients

  • 175g turnip cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tsp sweet soy sauce
  • 1 ¼ tsp soy sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup beansprouts
  • 1 small handful garlic chives (about 3 chives), cut into 2-inch pieces
  • Sriracha or another hot sauce for serving (see note)
  • Optional for serving: roasted chili flakes, lime wedge, and roasted peanuts

Notes:

1. While you do not have to serve this with any extra sauce, I find it really benefits from a vinegar and spicy sauce. Some vendors serve it with a vinegary version of Thai sweet chili sauce, but I find Sriracha works wonderfully. If you find Sriracha alone to spicy, try mixing it with some sweet chili sauce. You can buy sweet chili sauce or make your own with this easy recipe!

2. I’ve given the amounts for 1 serving, which can be easily multiplied to serve however many people you wish. HOWEVER, I would not cook more than 2 servings at a time because crowding the pan will make it soggy, and it’ll be difficult to toss many turnip cakes at once and you may end up mushing them. The part where you sear the turnip cakes, you can do as many as your pan size will allow, but comes time to toss it with the other ingredients, I would do 1 or 2 servings at a time. 

Instructions

*Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go since this recipe goes very quickly!

  1. Stir together the soy sauce and sweet soy sauce.
  2. In a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned wok, add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Once oil is hot, add the turnip cakes and let them sear until well browned on at least 2 sides. (You can sear them on more sides if you have the time and patience!) Do not crowd the pan or they will not brown, and do this in multiple batches if making a large amount. 
  3. If you have more than 2 servings of turnip cakes in the pan at this point, remove some so that you are only stir-frying 1 or 2 servings at a time.
  4. Crack egg into the pan with the turnip cakes, then break the yolks and put the turnip cakes on top of the egg.
  5. Let egg set about half way, then use 2 spatulas to quickly but gently toss everything to mix the egg and the turnip cakes together. (Be gentle because you don’t want to mush the turnip cakes.)
  6. Add bean sprouts and garlic chives, then pour the sauce on top of the vegetables and toss briefly, just 30 seconds to a minute, until all the sauce has been absorbed. 
  7. Serve immediately with some hot sauce on the side, and if you wish, some chili flakes, lime wedge, and roasted peanuts.
A little known Thai street food often sold alongside Pad Thai. We take the popular dim sum turnip cakes and make a delicious and easy stir-fry out of them. #kanompakkaad #hotthaikitchen #turnipcakes #lobakgo #thaistreetfood #glutenfree
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Dim Sum Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go) ขนมผักกาด
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