Vegan Dim Sum Style Kohlrabi Cake
Sweet and tangy sundried tomatoes burst in each bite of these kohlrabi cakes- a vegan dim sum take on the classic turnip cake. They’re soft in the middle, crispy, and delicious. They are perfect for sharing at your next dim sum gathering or brunch. If you make a batch ahead of time, you can easily pull them out of your freezer and crisp them up on a moments notice.
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Vegan Dim Sum Kohlrabi Cake Tasting Notes:
They aren’t sweet like what you might think of as a cake, but rather savory and salty. Theyre’ made of kohlrabi, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, onion and scallion held together with a steamed rice flour batter that almost melts in the mouth. The exterior looks like a cloudy, swirling galaxy around the pops of green onion and red tomato. The cake is sliced into small pieces and seared for a crispy and textured edge. The sun dried tomatoes are savory and a little tart. The added punch of salt from a soy sauce based dipping sauce really balances the tartness of the tomato well. The kohlrabi is hard to find, until you bite into the cake and let the rice flour start to melt away, leaving you with the cabbage-like kohlrabi flavor.
The particular piece pictured above got a little extra crispy, but it was delicious and I was not mad about it!
Small Plates
Across the world there are various cultural iterations centered around the food culture of small plates. Spain is known for tapas, which tends to feature many salty little bites to be eaten with wine. Mezze is eaten in the Mediterranean, middle east, and northern Africa, featuring cheeses, hummus, pickles, and more, either with drinks or as a whole meal. Korean meals are most often served in a small-plate style, and feature soup and rice along with banchan, or sides. There is also an Italian version, cicchetti, the Japanese have izakaya, and I’m sure there are more of which I am unaware. This dish here is taken from the Chinese version, dim sum, which originates in teahouses. It is most often eaten as a breakfast or brunch type meal, with servers bringing around trays of food off of which you can select what you like.
Small plate eating tends to make the eating experience more social and varied. These meals tend to be eaten with others, and the food ordered is shared. Rather than having one dish, you can have bites of many dishes. A lot of the dishes served as small plates are richer or more salty, the type that would be overwhelming in a larger portion. In many cases these small plate meals can be long and drawn out, with small courses and different bites adding fuel to conversation and togetherness. This type of eating may actually connect us to something primal about being human, as it evokes the ritualistic bonds of sharing food and belonging.
Looking for Small-Plate Friendly Bites? Try one of these!
- Chili Roasted Snacking Chestnuts
- Seitan-Based Vegan Zucchini Meatballs
- White Pepper Popcorn Shrimp (of the Woods)
- Vegan Sausage Stuffed Summer Squash
- Crispy Cornmeal Vegan Milkweed Pod Poppers
- Maple Chili Foraged Bolete Bao
- Mushroom Spinach Star Vegan Dumplings
- Miso-Glazed Fresh Garbanzo Beans
- Salt and Vinegar Fried Lotus Root
- Ginger Walnut Lettuce Cups with Persimmons
- Vegan Savory Banana Fritters
- Crunchy Sesame Crusted Delicata Squash
- Rye Pretzel Recipe with Vegan Beer Cheese
- Vegan Foraged Stuffed Grape Leaf Recipe
- Vegan BLT Bites- Vegan Party-Friendly Snack
- Garlic Mustard and Tofu Patties
- Crispy Coconut Crusted Tofu with Pineapple Dipping Sauce
- Roasted Potatoes in Creamy Fenugreek Leaf Sauce
- Sunflower Seed Loaded Jerusalem Artichoke Chips
- Rice Paper Vegan Tofu Dumplings
- Roasted Mini Eggplants in Tahini Sauce
- Backyard Wild Field Garlic Pancakes
- Cucumber and Jicama Vegan Tea Sandwiches
- Garlic Scape Sweet Potato Pakoras or Fritters (Vegan)
- Vegan Black Trumpet Arancini (Air Fried)
- Golden Sweet Steamed Buns with Raisins and Pecans
There are many more on Very Vegan Val, not to mention dips, vegetable sides, and sweets that would be great small plate additions, but this list was getting a little out of control. I love small plates and snacks.
How to Make Vegan Dim Sum Kohlrabi Cake
To make this vegan dim sum delight, we’ll start by preparing the kohlrabi, the add-ins, and the batter before bringing the elements together. The kohlrabi needs to be peeled and grated, and then boiled in salty water. Doing so will season your kohlrabi, as well as remove moisture so it doesn’t come out in the cake and leave you with a soggy mess. Hold onto that boiling water though, because we will be using it in the batter. The add ins are also pre-cooked. We used sundried tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, onions, and scallions, but feel free to get a little creative with that part. Finally the batter is whisked together, and the kohlrabi and add-ins incorporated.
All that goodness gets transferred into a baking dish, but rather than go in the oven we’re going to be steaming our cake. If you can fit your baking dish in an Instant pot, that is a great option, otherwise do as I did and jerry-rig a steaming situation. I used a large skillet with high sides and a lid, and propped the baking dish off the bottom of the pan by setting it on a mason jar lid. You may also find that a 9-inch round cake tin is easier for you to use than the square 8×8 inch dish. Steam for almost an hour, and then let the cake cool before removing it from the pan and cutting it into pieces. I cut mine into three rows of 14 rectangles, but do what looks right to you.
The final step is to heat some oil in a large skillet and pan fry the pieces until crispy, making sure to flip to get both sides. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy!
To Freeze and Reheat
If you want to freeze your kohlrabi cakes, it’s best to do so before you’ve pan-fried them. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the cakes into your preferred shape for serving, and arrange them in a single layer on the parchment paper so they are not touching. Freeze them until they are completely solid, and then you can transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for months. When you’re ready to eat, simply take them out of the freezer and pan fry- there should be no need to defrost.
Vegan Dim Sum Style Kohlrabi Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 1/2 lb. grated kohlrabi
- 1 tsp. salt, divided
- Oil, for cooking
- 1 cup (2 oz.) chopped shitake mushrooms (fresh or rehydrated)
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) rice flour
- 2 tbsp. corn starch
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce and sundried tomatoes with 1/4 cup of hot water and set aside. Add the grated kohlrabi to a saucepan, along with 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the kohlrabi is softened and you have about a cup of water left. Remove from the heat and strain to separate the kohlrabi from the liquid, reserving both.
- Remove the sundried tomatoes from the liquid, reserving the soy-water, and roughly chop them. Add a small amount of oil to a skillet, and add the sundried tomatoes, soy-liquid, shitakes, onion, and scallions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, so liquid released from the mushrooms evaporates. Set aside.
- Make the batter. Combine the rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, remaining salt, and pepper and whisk. Add the grated kohlrabi, along with 1 cup of the kohlrabi cooking water (if you don't have enough, supplement with fresh water), and the sautéed sundried tomato mixture. Fold to combine, and then let the batter sit for 15 minutes to thicken.
- While it thickens, lightly grease an 8x8 inch square metal baking pan. Set up a steamer that will fit your pan- I used a large skillet, and placed a jar lid inside to elevate the baking pan off the bottom of the skillet.
- Pour the thickened batter into the prepared baking pan, and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Place in the steamer, and steam for 50 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool before running a knife around the edges and flipping to release from the pan.
- To serve, cut into slices and use a hot oiled skillet to pan-fry so the edges are crispy and a little charred. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
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