Eating this dish in Singapore is soooo ez. Just go to any hawker centre or food court and you can order this dish. However, this dish is not available over here. If you want to eat it, you got to make it. Well, maybe it’s healthier? You can control the ingredients and you know how you prepare it.
Actually, I had made this several times with Jo and we really like it Reminds us of home 🙂 We usally prep early in the morning and cook in the evening. Since, I am doing this alone…I like to take things slow. I made the ‘radish kueh’ on 1 day and fried them the next day.
Fried Radish Cake (菜头粿) Recipe
(Taken from RasaMalaysia)
Ingredients:
Part 1 – Making the Radish Cake
1 medium radish (about 700g when grated) + 50ml water [ I used 750g of radish – yields about 540g of grated radish]
200g rice flour [156g rice flour]
250ml water [195ml water]
1/4 tsp salt
Method:
1. Over a very low flame, steam grated radish + 50ml water in a thick stainless steel pot (or non-stick pot). About 30 mins, or until radish turns translucent. Remove cover and allow to cool. [I drain most of the water from the radish before combing with flour mixture. You don’t see a big difference between steam/ not steam radish… hmmm.. but it will feel softer]
2. Combine rice flour, salt and water. Mix well to combine.
3. Add rice flour solution to cooled grated radish. Stir and mix before pouring into a metal cake tin for steaming. The final mixture should resemble a somewhat watery coleslaw.
4. Steam on high for 40 mins. Leave it until completely cool (best overnight in the refrigerator), so that the radish cake firms up. It will be easier to handle too, as it will not stick to the knife when you’re cutting.
Part 2 – Frying the Radish Cake
I used 3/4 of steamed radish cake above ,enough for 2
1 to 2 tbsp chai poh (preserved radish/turnip) [DO NOT PUT TOO MUCH, will make the dish very salty]
2 to 3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cloves minced garlic
About 2 tsp fish sauce* (or slightly more, if you like)
3 tbsp oil (vegetable oil or lard oil)
Dash of white pepper
Chilli sauce (optional, as much as you like)
About 1 tbsp Rose Brand Thick Sweet Sauce (omit this if you are frying the white version)
3 stalks chopped spring onion
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method:
1. Cut up steamed radish cake into small chunks. Smaller chunks will crisp better, and the result is a more delicious plate of Chai Tow Kway. You want a contrast in texture – a crisp exterior and a soft interior. And those really small, charred, crispy crumbs? Heaven.
2. In a non-stick skillet, heat oil and fry radish cake chunks till lightly browned and slightly crisp. Heat should be medium high.
3. Add minced garlic and chai poh. Fry till aromatic. Drizzle a little more oil if it is too dry.
4. Add fish sauce, pepper (and lashings of chilli sauce, if you like it spicy). Fry to coat evenly with seasoning.
5. Pour beaten eggs all over radish cake. Allow the eggs to set slightly before flipping over in sections. It’s OK if it starts breaking up when you flip over; you don’t need to have a perfect whole. At this stage, you can dish up and serve with spring onions if you are making the white version.
6. Drizzle Rose Brand Thick Sweet Sauce and stir fry to mix well. Dish up and sprinkle liberally with spring onions. Garnish with coriander leaves.
I placed the sambal chili at the side instead of frying them together. I also added prawns for extra flavour and crunch. Now… are you hungry yet? 😀