I know everyone’s busy running around raving about pumpkins, acorn squash, and butternuts (guilty as charged), but what about little old turnips?! Well. Chinese turnips are ALSO in season right now, and tis the season to eat lots of them.
Did you know that the turnip is a cruciferous vegetable, and not just another root vegetable? Yep, it’s healthy and definitely shouldn’t be relegated as a starchy filler. An old saying in China claims that eating turnips now (when they’re in season) is actually more beneficial than ginseng!
Given that the stars are aligned on turnips, today I want to shine a spotlight on this under-appreciated vegetable. I think it deserves so much more attention and application in the culinary world. These Easy Braised Turnip Rice Bowls make for the perfect recipe to bring your family all the benefits the humble turnip has to offer.
So what does that entail, exactly? Turnips are low in calories and high in fiber. According to studies, the benefits of eating turnips also include fighting cancer-causing free radicals, improving immunity, lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and supporting healthy digestion.
That being said, this is a good time to mention that we have many other Chinese turnip dishes that you can try: Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go); Braised Beef with Chinese Turnips; Chinese Turnip Pancakes, Simple Oxtail Soup, and Dim Sum Tripe Stew. All excellent choices for turnip newbies and old-time devotees alike!
How to Pick a Good Turnip
With all of these health benefits, I know you are eager to give this simple braised turnip recipe a try. But before you go shopping, here are some tips for picking a good turnip.
First of all, we are talking about white Chinese turnips, not the purplish standard turnips you might find in a regular grocery store. But if that’s all you have access to, feel free to use that!
Next, the skin of a fresh turnip should be shiny, not dull, and smooth and evenly colored—no black spots. Finally, weigh the turnip in your hand. It should feel heavier than its size. If it feels light, it’s probably dried out.
If you’re skeptical of this dish, Sarah, who is admittedly my pickier daughter when it comes to eating veggies, really likes this braised turnip bowl, and used words/phrases like “wholesome”, “comforting”, “meaty”, and “the best” when chowing down on one of the bowls after wrapping up the photo shoot!
I sincerely hope this easy and quick one-pot-meal will become a staple for your family during the winter months ahead. And don’t forget to spread the word and share the health benefits of Chinese turnips now that they’re in season!
Recipe Instructions
Heat the oil in your wok over low heat. Add the star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. Let them infuse the oil for 10 minutes, taking care not to let them burn.
Scoop out and discard the aromatics, and leave the oil in the wok. Add the ginger, garlic, and the white parts of the scallions, and turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir for a minute or so.
Add the ground meat, and stir-fry until browned.
Next, add the white Chinese turnip (daikon radish) and Shiitake mushrooms. Stir and mix everything well.
Add the Shaoxing wine, salt, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and 2 cups of water.
Mix everything well, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes over medium heat—until the turnips are cooked through and translucent. While the contents of the woks are simmering, prepare the cornstarch mixture and set aside.
Once the turnips are fully cooked through, uncover, turn the heat up to high, add the cornstarch mixture.
Stir-fry for a minute––the mixture should thicken into a sauce. Stir in the green parts of the scallions…
And serve your braised turnip over steamed jasmine rice!
Easy Braised Turnip Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 star anise
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed and finely chopped)
- 4 scallions (chopped and separated by white and green parts)
- 8 ounces ground pork (225g, but any ground meat will work)
- 1½ pounds white Chinese turnip or daikon radish (680g, peeled and cut into ½” x 1” pieces)
- 8 fresh Shiitake mushrooms (diced)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups water (470 ml)
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
- Steamed jasmine rice (to serve)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in your wok over low heat. Add the star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. Let them infuse the oil for 10 minutes, taking care not to let them burn.
- Scoop out and discard the aromatics, and leave the oil in the wok. Add the ginger, garlic, and the white parts of the scallion, and turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir for a minute or so. Add the ground meat, and stir-fry until browned. Next, add the turnips and shiitake mushrooms. Stir and mix everything well.
- Add the Shaoxing wine, salt, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and 2 cups of water. Mix everything well, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes over medium heat--until the turnips are cooked through and translucent. While the contents of the woks are simmering, prepare the cornstarch mixture and set aside.
- Once the turnips are fully cooked through, uncover, turn the heat up to high, add the cornstarch mixture. Stir-fry for a minute––the mixture should thicken into a sauce. Stir in the green parts of the scallions and then serve over rice.
Tips & Notes:
nutrition facts
This is delicous. Eating it right now and it’s perfect for a cold night! Got all the way home without realizing I hadn’t bought daikon, had to walk 10 minutes back to the store, TOTALLY worth it. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for writing us a comment.
We didn’t have daikon, but we did have three whole bags of French salad radishes, purple turnips, and white turnips from our crop box. They went in with some sauce left over from making soy sauce chicken and after a 15-minute braise, everything came out deliciously. I have a new recipe to use whenever we get bags of radishes for weeks on end from our farmer!
Lovely, now is the time to eat daikon radish/Chinese turnip. They are so good and good for you!
This is a super tasty and homely dish!
I couldn’t get hold of any Sichuan peppercorns so am not sure what’s it’s meant to actually taste like but it was really lovely.
I also left the star anise to cook in the pot.
Big thumbs up thank you!
Thank you so much, Ling. So glad you enjoyed it!
Just to let you know that Pinterest currently has your url blocked as spam so I’m unable to pin this recipe :-(
Hi Cat, many thanks for letting us know, working with Pinterest now to get us “unspammed”.
I’m very eager to try this recipe, but I’m also curious if it could be done in a clay pot similar to your Chicken and Mushroom Clay Pot Rice or Hong Kong Clay Pot Rice Bowl. I’d be interested in your thoughts and any modifications you would suggest to adapt this to a clay pot recipe. Thanks! Love your site.
Hi Bill, I do sometimes use my clay pot as a wok. I only use medium heat when cooking with a clay pot, though, because adjusting the heat is rather difficult.
Is there any good alternative to the Szechuan peppercorns? A combination of other spices?
Also, how can I make this vegan?
Hi Gemma, there is really no substitute for Szechuan peppercorns. Also, you can make the dish vegan, but it won’t be as tasty (wink, wink!)
Tested 3 times, devoured 3 times! Soooo delicious, thanks a lot for this wonderful recipe!
Link and credit here: http://www.marlyzen.com/2017/03/navets-blancs-braises.html
Marlyzen, a french fan ;)
Magnifique!
This is a great recipe — very tasty and easy to execute. We have made it regularly since you published the recipe. Thank you.
Thank you for your lovely words, Jack! It’s comforting to know that readers like our recipes :-)
Delicious! I make this every week on a cold winter’s night, and it’s so comforting yet savory- reminds me of good old home cooked meals. I substituted korean radish and doubled the pork, and it was just as delicious and had more leftovers next day!
I echo your sentiment, Christine! I just made it last week too. It is my favorite daikon recipe right now.
Could other kinds of mushrooms be substituted for the shitakes? Shitake mushrooms right now in San Francisco Chinatown are so-o-o expensive.
Your website has been a delight. Thanks.
How did I miss your comment? So sorry! Yes, you can use other kinds of mushrooms, even fresh mushrooms.