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Easy Pan-fried Daikon Radish bun – Luo Bo Si Bing

May 8, 2021 by woonheng 34 Comments

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This pan-fried Daikon Radish Bun, Luo Bo Si Bing (萝卜丝饼) recipe is vegan, easy, and delicious. There is no other way to pack more veggies in a meal than this!

daikon-radish-bun

Daikon radish or luo bo (Mandarin) or chai tow (Hokkien) is a healthy and delicious root vegetable. There are so many ways to enjoy this vegetable such as stew, soup, pan-fry, stir-fry, and as a savory filling for snacks.

I have tried two types of Luo Bo Si Bing; one with a flaky crust like a pastry and second is wrapped in a soft dough similar to the recipe below.

daikon-radish-bun

The steps below may look lengthy but it’s just because I wanted to cover as many details as possible. There are a few sections that you can do simultaneously as well.

How to Make Pan-fried daikon radish bun

Part 1: Make the dough

This dough is made with a simple mix of flour, salt, water, and oil. Stir the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ingredients.

Once you get a shaggy dough, knead with your hand until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl with a lid and rest for 30 minutes.

Note: This is going to be a sticky dough that will yield a soft and thin wrapper later. As long as you are able to form it into a dough, then you are good to go.

Part 2: Prepare the filling

Now, let’s move on to the filling. There are two parts to making the filling. One is to prepare the daikon radish and the next is to cook the carrot and mushrooms.

Before that, soak a bunch of mung bean vermicelli (fen si) in hot boiling water until soft. Then, cut it into tiny shreds with scissors.

Now, clean the daikon radish and peel off the outer skin with a vegetable peeler, similar to a carrot. Cut off the leafy top and root end. If your daikon radish is huge, cut it into half for ease of handling.

Set a grater on top of a large bowl and shred the daikon using the large shredding holes.

Then, massage the shreds with a teaspoon of salt and set them aside for about 30 minutes. This step is to draw out the daikon radish’s moisture.

Next, heat a non-skillet and add the oil. Sauté mushrooms until aromatic, then push them to the side of the pan.

Pan-fry tofu until golden brown and sauté carrot for about 30-45 seconds. You can season here or later along with the daikon radish.

After 30 minutes, you should see that the daikon radish has softened and your bowl will have the daikon liquid. Transfer the shreds to a nut milk bag and squeeze out the water.

Place the squeezed daikon into a bowl along with the sautéed ingredients, softened mung bean vermicelli, and chopped green onion.

Season and mix to combine. For the seasoning, I used a mix of salt, mushrooms seasoning, soy sauce, ground white pepper, 5-spice powder, and toasted sesame oil. Divide into 8 portions.

Part 3: Assemble the daikon radish bun

To assemble the bun, dust some flour on a work surface. Transfer the dough to the floured surface. If the dough appears to be too sticky, dust some flour on your palm before handling it.

Then, knead it a few times to remove air bubbles and divide the dough into 8 equal portions, about 50g each. Note: The dough is soft and sticky, so flour your work surface accordingly.

Roll each portion into a ball and dust your rolling pin with flour. Roll out each dough into a 5″-6″ circular wrapper keeping the middle section thicker while the edges thinner.

Pile a portion of filling in the middle.

Then, lift both sides of the dough and bring to the middle and pinch. Now, lift the other side up and stretch a little to make it thinner and bring to the middle and pinch to seal. Repeat until all sides are seal in the middle.

Another method is to wrap the filling using the pleating method, similar to my Sheng Jian Bao.

Be sure there are no openings to avoid the juice from seeping through when cooking. I added some flour on the pleated side to avoid them from sticking while I work on the rest of the dough. Then, flip over and adjust with palms to make a circular bun.

Part 4: Cook and serve the bun

Heat a large non-stick skillet and add about 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Swirl your pan so the oil covers the bottom of the pan. You don’t need much oil in this recipe as we are using the steaming method to cook the buns.

Place the buns in the pan, slightly apart, seamed side down. Pan-fry for about 30-45 seconds over low-medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Peek to check to avoid burning. The buns will start to puff up at this time.

Once the bottom turns golden brown, flip and cover the pan again. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. The bun is fully cooked through when the dough turns matte. Or you can poke the side of the bun with your finger, if it bounces back, then it’s ready.

Serve warm with a side of Lao Gan Ma and soy sauce.

Pan-fried Daikon radish FAQ

1. Dough is too sticky – this recipe has a super soft dough and using more water to flour ratio than my other recipes. This high water content is to replace the oil which also creates super stretchy skin.

The recipe calls for 175ml of water to 240g of flour. The water to flour ratio is more than half. This water level is enough to turn the dough into a soft form but not runny.

2. My wrapper is too thick – Please check my video on how you can roll it out really thin without breaking it. The trick is to flour the surface, your palm, and the rolling pin. In addition, I stretch the sides before sealing them into a bun.

3. Low heat cooking – this is a crucial step because minimal oil used to pan-fry the buns. Using the pan-fry and steam method, the dough will be fully cooked over low-medium heat. As usual, I love a non-stick or cast iron pan to pan-fry these with.

4. How to check if the buns are cooked? – Once you cover the buns with a lid, they will start to expand after 2 minutes. This is normal due to the air pockets trapped inside the bun. Once you flip over, continue to pan-fry until both sides turn golden brown.

Also, check by poking the side of the bun with your finger. If it bounces back, then it’s ready. The bun color will also turn matte instead of white when ready.

5. Other ways to cook daikon radish – Adding salt to vegetables to draw out the moisture is one of the best ways to keep the crunch and color. Plus, you’ll consume a lot more vegetables this way. Alternatively, you can:

  • Stir-fry – Similar to my Daikon radish cake (Lo Bak Gou) recipe, you can stir-fry daikon radish with a tad of sugar. Some finds that daikon radish has a littler bitterness to it, thus the sugar. However, I’ve never experienced the bitter taste before.
  • Blanch the daikon radish in hot water until they turn translucent, about 1-2 minutes, then, transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain out the water and squeeze out the water using a nut milk bag.

Check out my other buns/dumplings recipe:

  • No-yeast buns
  • Easy crispy rice dumplings
  • Sheng Jian Bao with zucchini
  • Lacy Potstickers

Why You Need this Daikon Radish Bun – Luo Bo Si Bing

  • No-yeast needed
  • Vegan and Dairy Free
  • Thin wrapper packed with flavorful fillings
  • The best recipe to use daikon radish
  • The bun stay soft the next day
  • Delicious and simple to make

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!

Pan-fried daikon radish bun – Luo Bo Si Bing

woonheng
How do you pack lots of veggies in a meal? Turn them into a filling for buns! This recipe is packed with refreshing and crunchy daikon radish, umami mushrooms, tofu, and carrots. It's so simple and tasty for any meal of the day.
5 from 12 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hr 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Resting Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Taiwanese
Servings 3

Ingredients
 
 

Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup lukewarm water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Filling

  • 2 lbs daikon radish
  • 3 oz firm tofu
  • 5 oz oyster mushrooms
  • 1 small carrot
  • 2 stalks green onions chopped
  • 1 bunch dried mung bean vermicelli
  • salt to taste
  • a few splashes sesame oil toasted (see link)

Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon mushrooms seasoning
  • ⅛ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions
 

Make the dough

  • To make the dough, combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  • With a pair of chopsticks or silicone spatula, stir while adding the water.
  • Add the oil and knead until a soft dough forms, about 2-3 minutes. Note: the dough is sticky but you should be able to gather the dough together. If not, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
  • Cover the bowl with a lid and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling

  • To make the filling, soften the mung bean vermicelli by immersing it in hot boiling water to soften, about 5-8 minutes. Then, cut them into tinier threads with scissors.
  • Meanwhile, drain the tofu with dish towels or gently press it in between your palms to remove the tofu water. Then, cut it into 1cm cubes. The tiny cubes help keep the filling intact later.
  • Next, prepare the mushrooms by simply tearing the larger cap into smaller pieces with your hand. Set it aside.
  • Then, shred the carrot using a grater with a smaller shredding hole.
  • Now, clean the daikon radish and peel off the outer skin with a vegetable peeler, similar to how you prepare a carrot. Cut off the leafy top and root end. If your daikon radish is huge, cut it into half for ease of handling.
  • Set a grater on top of a large bowl and shred the daikon using the large shredding holes.
  • Then, massage the shreds with a teaspoon of salt and set them aside for about 20-30 minutes. This step is to draw out the daikon radish's moisture.
  • To cook the filling, heat a large non-stick pan with ½ tablespoon of oil.
  • Sauté mushrooms until fragrant, push them to the side of the pan. Pan-fry the tofu cubes until golden brown, adding more oil if needed.
  • Next, add the carrot and sauté for about 30-45 seconds. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.
  • Once the daikon radish has softened and the water has released, place them in a nut milk bag. Wring out as much liquid as possible, do it in small batches as needed.
  • Transfer the squeezed daikon radish into a bowl. If they appear to have a large strand, cut or chop them into smaller bits.
  • Add the cooked mushrooms, carrot, and tofu into the same bowl followed by softened mung bean vermicelli and green onions. Then, mix it with the seasoning until well-combined. Divide it into 8 portions.

Assemble the bun

  • To make the buns, dust the work surface and the rolling pin with flour. Please note: this is a very soft and sticky dough, so rub your palms with flour as well.
  • Take a dough and flatten it with your palm. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 5″-6″ circular wrapper, keeping the middle thicker and side thinner.
  • Place a portion of the filling in the middle. Lift two sides of the dough and bring it to the middle and pinch to seal.
  • While holding this pinch, gently pull a side of the dough and bring it to the middle. Repeat until all sides are in the middle. Pinch it together and seal it tightly. Turn it over and adjust the dough into a round bun.

Cook the bun

  • To cook the buns, heat a non-stick pan and add about 3 teaspoons of oil.
  • Add the buns, seamed side down, slightly apart. Cover the pan with a lid, and pan-fry the bottom until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. It's normal that the buns puff up during cooking.
  • Uncover, flip the buns over, and cover with a lid then continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Peek the buns occasionally to prevent them from burning.
  • To check if the buns are fully cooked through, poke the side of the bun slightly with your finger. If it bounces back, then, they are ready.
  • Serve them warm with a side of chile crisps.

Video

Notes

  • The dough is soft and a little sticky. However, once you let it rest for 30 minutes, it’s easier to handle the dough. 
  • Please use medium-low heat to cook the buns. If they appear to burn too quickly lower the heat. 
  • The steam from the buns will cook the inside and the dough without much oil needed.
  • I prefer to weigh the flour as the cup can vary in weight depending on how you scoop the flour.
Keyword Asianpastry, Buns
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daikon-radish-bun
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Comments

  1. Josh

    October 26, 2022 at 9:20 pm

    5 stars
    I made these and they were good but I think I will try an alteration for my next batch. I did not have a rolling pin so I used a plate but I did not get the dough quite thin enough. I think I would add some butter and a pinch of sugar to the dough just to make it slightly sweeter. Then for the daikon/carrots I would use the pickled kind. I think that slightly sweet exterior with a sour interior might bring out the flavor even more. For the batch I made I used a spicy peanut dipping sauce which was quite tasty. I don’t cook very often so thank you for inspiring me to do so.

    Reply
  2. Julie

    October 3, 2022 at 2:33 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was AMAZING. I had so much working against me – I’m notably terrible at making dough. Mine turned out just like the pictures due to WoonHeng’s fantastic instructions. My partner & I declared these one of our favorite recipes and I’m sure we will be making them regularly. I’ll absolutely be trying more of WoonHeng’s recipes and suggest you do the same!

    Reply
  3. sama

    May 9, 2022 at 6:05 pm

    Could I make a bunch of these and freeze or refrigerate half? if so do you have any tips? like how long could they be stored, best way to reheat ect.?

    Reply
  4. Bre

    April 3, 2022 at 7:48 am

    Hello WoonHeng!
    Your recipes are always SO delicious and flavourful, I have had good success!
    In the intro and in the video, you mentioned adding toasted sesame oil to the filling.
    That instruction is not included in the ingredients list or the actual recipe.
    How much sesame oil do you add to the filling?
    Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      April 3, 2022 at 10:40 am

      Hello Bre, thanks so much for your sweet note. I’ve updated the recipe to add a few splashes of toasted sesame oil to the mix. Please let me know if you need anything else. Have a beautiful weekend. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  5. Josh D

    March 19, 2022 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe has changed the way I see Daikon as an ingredient. This makes what felt like a tough vegetable to deal with during the winter into something I look forward to using for this very recipe. It’s always so good.

    Reply
  6. Jess

    January 22, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    I was looking for a way to use lots of daikon radish from my CSA and this was soooo good. Made a few minor subs but it turned out great. Hoping to make another batch and somehow freeze it for later.

    Reply
  7. Immaculate

    September 15, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    Now this is what I call a well-written recipe. I did not have tofu or mushrooms on hand, so I left them out but substituted the tofu with 1 egg (whisked) as someone else suggested. I used rice vermicelli instead of the mung bean and black pepper instead of white. It turned out so good! It takes some time, so you could do the daikon and dough earlier on, go do something else and then come back to complete it. Highly recommend! Well done!

    Reply
    • Ellen

      September 19, 2021 at 3:20 pm

      5 stars
      Love this blog! Recipe did not work as written with gluten free flour. I think that w/o gluten the dough wasn’t strong enough to hold fillings. I pan fried the dough anyways and served with filling on the side. Delicious!

      Reply
      • WoonHeng Chia

        September 20, 2021 at 11:19 am

        Hello Ellen, thanks a lot for your feedback. I haven’t tried it with gluten-free flour yet and good to know it didn’t hold the fillings well. I’m glad you found a workaround and enjoyed the dish. Thanks so much!

        Reply
  8. Kris

    August 3, 2021 at 4:55 am

    Just made these tonight and I want to thank you so much for your tips on the dough/wrapper. Whenever I make baozi/jiaozi/sheng jian bao/etc., it falls apart. The only thing I changed up was that I used whole wheat flour, as I didn’t have any regular. I did a cup and a half of that with the same amount of water you recommended, since wheat flour is more absorbent. I was worried it might be too dry/stiff but it ended up perfect! I’ll definitely be doing more of your recipes! And I’m going to try some more of your dumpling/bun recipes, haha.

    Reply
  9. Emily

    July 4, 2021 at 12:20 pm

    5 stars
    Ive made these twice now and can confirm they are AMAZING. I think I am going to have to make them every week because they are my new favourite food. I follow woonheng on Instagram and this is the first recipe of hers I’ve tried but I will definitely be trying more!

    Reply
  10. Taylor

    June 24, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    What shredder do you use???

    Reply
    • woonheng

      July 1, 2021 at 12:13 pm

      Hey Taylor, it’s a generic brand that I got from home, but I’ve seen them here on online. You can google vegetable shredder. Hope that helps. 🙂

      Reply
    • Sophia

      September 15, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      These turned out great!! Nice flavor, I substituted eggs instead of tofu as the binder and used pancit noodles since I didn’t have any mung bean on hand. Dough was perfect, easy to follow instructions and timing was just right! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sophia

        September 22, 2021 at 11:22 am

        5 stars
        I noticed if I hit the double recipe the seasoning in some cases quadruple? Is that right?

        Reply
  11. Liz

    June 10, 2021 at 8:10 pm

    These look delicious!! I have two questions – what is the best kind of tofu to use for this? And do you have a substitute for mung bean vermicelli?

    Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      June 18, 2021 at 9:28 am

      Hello Liz, I always use firm tofu that has great texture after I’ve removed the water. Extra firm is always too coarse for me. You can definitely use softened rice vermicelli. Let me know if you need anything else. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Asha

    June 8, 2021 at 7:54 pm

    5 stars
    Just made these today & they came out so well! The filling itself was yummy!
    Your detailed instructions & troubleshooting tips were very helpful… thanks much & looking forward to trying our your other dishes!

    Reply
  13. Jessica

    May 26, 2021 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    My boyfriend made these last night for me, because I was feeling ill and really wanted to try this recipe. They turned out sooooooo good 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe !

    Reply
    • woonheng

      May 28, 2021 at 11:17 am

      oh yay! Thanks so much Jessica. I’m super excited to hear that you and your boyfriend loved this recipe – woohoo. I hope you are feeling better now, stay well and safe. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  14. Bernard Petersen

    May 23, 2021 at 9:53 pm

    This looks fantastic, I will try to make this on the weekend

    Reply
    • woonheng

      May 28, 2021 at 11:26 am

      Many thanks, Bernard. Hope you like it. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Gladmama

    May 16, 2021 at 8:54 am

    5 stars
    I made these last night and they were wonderful, my children LOVED them. Thank you.

    Reply
    • woonheng

      May 16, 2021 at 2:52 pm

      yay! thanks so so much. These are some of my go-to recipes, super happy to hear that your kids love them. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Haras

    May 10, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for posting this! I made it tonight, and it was so good. I completely appreciate the instructions for rolling the dough thinner at the edges, as my first batch were slightly undercooked at the seam. I rolled the buns out the same width because I was lazy. My buns were perfectly steamed on top but undercooked on bottom, where the dough comes together. I just threw them back in the pan and forced them to cook. Excellent recipe

    Reply
    • woonheng

      May 12, 2021 at 11:57 am

      That’s so awesome, Haras. I’m so happy you find the video helpful and thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m really grateful you gave it a try and it turned out well for you – yay!! Hope you give my other recipes a try too. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply

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