KEEP CALM AND READ ON

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? 😀

Happiness is enjoying freshly baked cupcakes for tea 🙂

Cakes always makes me happy 🙂 well.. this cake tasted like fruit cake BUT it’s ezier to bake.. try it! Btw, I didn’t have Cointreau or Grand Marnier to soak the cranberry/dried longan – I used Bacardi instead. Works well !

Longan Cranberry Yogurt cake

(Recipe from Cuisine Paradise)

Ingredients:

• 245g Self Raising Flour
• 175g Unsalted Butter, cubes
• 180g Caster Sugar
• 3 Eggs (60g each)
• 30ml Fresh Orange Juice
• Zest of 2 Oranges
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 Tablespoons Of Greek Yogurt
• 50g Dried Longan, roughly chopped
• 50g Dried Cranberry, roughly chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
• Some Almond Slices
• Some Kumquat slices, optional
• 40ml of Cointreau or Grand Marnier

1. In a small bowl, soaked dried longan and cranberry using either Cointreau or Grand Marnier for at least 30 minutes or more. Stirring twice or more in between.

2. Using an electric beater, cream butter and sugar till pale and creamy.

3. Beat in egg one at a time till combined. Add in orange zest and vanilla extract, beat well.

4. Next fold in sieved flour in 3 batches alternate it with orange juice and yoghurt.

6. Divide cake mixture into cupcake cases (do not filled it to the rim, leaving about 1.5 cm allowance for the cake to raise) or prepared loaf tin. Top with some Kumquat and almond slices.

7. Bake in preheated 180°C/350°F oven for about 25 minutes or when the skewer insert in the centre and comes out clean.