Traditional Savory Radish Dumpling (Lo Pet Ban /萝卜粄) - A childhood Breakfast Memory

There are certain traditional snacks that quietly disappear over time, and one of them for me is Hakka radish cake, or Lo Pet Ban (萝卜粄).  My mom used to buy Lo Pet Ban from morning hawker stalls as my breakfast when we were young. Although it has become harder to find nowadays, this traditional snack remains one of my favorite comfort foods, and surprisingly, it has also become one of my son’s favorite snacks too. Freshly steamed and still warm, they were simple yet satisfying breakfasts that many people grew up eating.

These days, however, it has become increasingly difficult to find. Many of the older hawkers who used to make them have retired, and fewer people continue this labor-intensive tradition. Perhaps traditional snacks like this no longer attract much attention from the younger generation. What was once a common everyday breakfast now feels like a nostalgic taste from the past.

Although it may look like chai kueh, Lo Pet Ban has a softer and slightly chewier skin made from a mixture of glutinous rice flour and rice flour, with a savory filling of stir-fried shredded radish, mushrooms, dried shrimp, and cured meat or ground pork.

Although it may look similar to Chai Kueh, Lo Pet Ban has a softer and chewy outer skin and savory filling. The dough is traditionally made from a mixture of glutinous rice flour and regular rice flour, giving it a soft texture with a slight chewiness after steaming. Getting a proportion of rights is important.  Too much glutinous rice flour makes it overly sticky, while too much rice flour makes the skin firm and less tender.

Before Steaming

Inside, the filling is fragrant and flavorful. Stir-fried shredded white radish is usually the main ingredient, cooked together with cured meat, shiitake mushrooms, and dried shrimp. Some families may also add garlic, shallots, or preserved radish for extra aroma. The filling is first sautéed until fragrant before being wrapped inside the dough and steamed.

The soft chewy skin paired beautifully with the savory radish filling. Sometimes they were served plain, and sometimes with a little chili sauce on the side. Even though they looked humble, they carried the warmth of home-style cooking and the flavors of the older generation.

Traditional foods like Lo Pet Ban are more than just snacks. They are memories of old markets, early mornings, and the hardworking hawkers who prepared them by hand before sunrise. Perhaps that is why they are so unforgettable, especially now that they are becoming harder to find.

You may still come across them occasionally in traditional markets or homemade versions during festive gatherings, but the taste always brings back memories of simpler days and childhood breakfasts at the hawker's stall.

Full written steps, tips and exact measurements are below. Keep scrolling!!

INGREDIENTS 

(Dumpling Skin)

250g Glutinous flour

60g Rice flour

¼ tsp salt

230ml Hot boiling water

1 tbsp oil

Some banana leaves cut into round size

(Filling)

600g White radish

50g Dried shrimp

120g Ground pork

1 tbsp garlic

1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp white pepper

(Pork Marinade)

2 tsp Light soy sauce

½ tsp Sugar

½ tsp Corn starch

1 tsp oil

METHODS

1. Peel and shred the white radish. And squeeze out excess water and set aside. 

2. Soak the dried shrimp and dice into small pieces. 

3. Marinade the ground pork with the pork marinade ingredients for 30 minutes.

4. Heat a little oil in a wok or pan. Sauté garlic and dried shrimp with medium heat until aromatic.

5. Add the ground pork, Stir-fry until the meat turn white and break it up.

6. Add the shredded radish and season with oyster sauce, continue stir-frying until the shredded radish softened and all the ingredients dried up. Set aside to cool.

Note: You may also thicken the sauce with some corn starch solution.

7. In a mixing bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and salt. Mix it well. Gradually add the hot boiling water into it. Mix and knead until it forms a rough dough. Add in oil, continue kneading until the dough absorbs all the oil and turns into a soft, smooth dough. 

8. Divide the dough into 10 small portions. Roll into a round shape. With your thumb in the center of the dough, pinch the edges with your thumb and index finger while rotating the ball in a circle. Slowly work the edges outward to make them thinner, while leaving the center slightly thicker. This creates a small, concave bowl or cup to hold the filling.

9. Place a spoonful of filling in the center, fold into a half-moon shape, and seal the edges tightly. Shape it into an egg shape. 

10. Arrange the dumplings on greased banana leaves. Steam over medium-high heat for about 10–15 minutes until the skin turns slightly translucent. 

11. After steaming, brush some scallion oil on each dumpling while hot. Serve warm with chili sauce if desired.

Tips For Making Savory Radish Dumpling 

A) Shredded radishes need to lightly squeeze out excess water to prevent the filling from becoming too wet. 

B) Stir-fry the filling until fragrant and relatively dry before wrapping. A wet filling may cause the dough skin to break during steaming. 

C) Shape the wrapper slightly thicker in the center to better hold the filling without tearing. 

D) Lightly oil your hands when shaping the dough to prevent sticking and make wrapping easier. 

E) Shape the bowl wrapper deeper to put more filling, otherwise the dumplings will flat after steaming.

F) Place the dumplings on greased steaming paper, banana leaves, or lightly oiled trays to prevent sticking.