FRIED RADISH CAKE (菜头粿)
This is a really simple meal where radishes, rice flour, egg, garlic, fish sauce, chili sauce, and onion all come together.
I am a major admirer of Teochew cuisine, a type of southern Chinese cuisine. Many Teochew Chinese throughout Southeast Asia, and many of us are familiar with the cozy and delectable Teochew meals.
Chai Tow Kway is available in two colors: white and black. I’ve included both; however, I like the black version. 😉
I grew up eating Chai Tow Kway in the Siglap wet market; those were when people brought their eggs to the hawker to fry their Chai Tow Kway and ate this meal with toothpicks rather than toothpicks, chopsticks, or forks.
In any case, this recipe calls for a relatively high radish-to-flour ratio, as my late father would say, “the genuine kind,” where the chai tow (radish) takes center stage, not the flour.
However, feel free to vary the radish, flour, and water quantities. Unlike baking, there are no hard and fast rules for this, and a bit extra (or less) here and there won’t hurt.
Bear in mind that increasing the quantity of radish and water results in a more delicate texture, while increasing the amount of flour results in a more ‘bite.’
I hope you have as much fun preparing and enjoying this dinner as I did! This recipe has a low-calorie count of 294 calories per serving.
INGREDIENTS:
PART I – HOW TO MAKE THE RADISH CAKE
- 1 medium radish, approximately 700 g (shredded)
- 250 ml (8 oz.) rice flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sodium chloride
PART TWO – FRIED RADISH CAKE
- Use half of the steamed radish cake described above, which is plenty for 1 or 2 people.
- 1–2 tablespoons chai poh, pickled radish/turnip
- 2 to 3 gently beaten eggs
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- Approximately 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or a little more if desired 3 tablespoons oil, vegetable oil, or lard oil
- A sprinkle of white pepper
- Chili sauce, if desired
- 1 tbsp Rose Brand Thick Sweet Sauce; eliminate using the white variety.
- 3 spring onion stems, coriander leaves, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
PART I – HOW TO MAKE THE RADISH CAKE
1. Steam grated radish + 50ml water in a thick stainless steel saucepan over a very low burner (or non-stick pot). Wait for approximately 30 minutes or until radish becomes transparent. Allow cooling after removing the lid.
2. Combine rice flour, salt, and water in a mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly.
3. Combine cooled grated radish with rice flour solution. Stir and combine well before putting into a hot metal cake pan. The finished combination should have the consistency of a little watery coleslaw.
4. Steam for 40 minutes on high. Allow it to cool fully (ideally overnight in the refrigerator) to firm up the radish cake. Additionally, it will be simpler to handle since it will not adhere to the knife as you cut.
PART TWO – FRIED RADISH CAKE
1. Steamed radish cake is cut into tiny parts. Smaller portions crisp more quickly, resulting in a more delicious serving of Chai Tow Kway. You want a tactile contrast between the exterior and the inside – a clean exterior and a soft interior. And what about those wonderful, burnt, crunchy crumbs? Heaven.
2. Subject to the non-stick pan to heat and cook radish cake until gently browned and crisp. Heat is set to a medium-high setting.
3. Garlic and chai poh, minced Fry until fragrant. Drizzle a little additional oil if the mixture is too dry.
4. Add fish sauce and pepper to taste (and lashings of chili sauce, if you like it spicy). Fry until evenly coated with spices.
5. Distribute beaten eggs evenly over the radish cake. Allow for a minor setting of the eggs before flipping them over in portions. It’s acceptable if it begins to disintegrate as you flip over; you are not required to have a flawless whole. At this point, if you’re cooking the white version, you may dish it out and garnish it with spring onions.
6. Drizzle Rose Brand Thick Sweet Sauce over the top and stir cook until thoroughly combined. Dish up and generously sprinkle with spring onions and coriander leaves.