Singapore "Carrot Cake"
A savory Southeast Asian dish made with daikon radish (white carrot), rice flour, and eggs. This traditional dish is pan-fried until golden brown and served with sweet soy sauce, chili sauce, and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- •1 pound daikon (also called Chinese radish or luo bo)
- •7 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- •2 teaspoons salt
- •1 teaspoon white pepper
- •2 cups finely ground rice flour (not sweet; an Asian brand such as Erawan)
- •2 cups water
- •6 whole large eggs
- •2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- •¼ cup ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) or thick soy sauce
- •1½ teaspoons sambal oelek or Sriracha
- •3 whole scallions
- •½ cup loosely packed sprigs fresh cilantro
- •1 piece well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok with lid
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Oil bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan.
2 min
- 2.
Peel daikon, then shred in a food processor fitted with medium shredding disk. Reserve any liquid.
5 min
- 3.
Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour 3 tablespoons oil down side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl, coating side. When oil begins to smoke, add daikon with any liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir-fry 3 minutes. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and breaking up daikon occasionally, until daikon is very tender, about 15 minutes.
18 min
- 4.
Whisk together rice flour and water in a large bowl until smooth, then stir in daikon (mixture will be lumpy) and pour into cake pan.
5 min
- 5.
Set a steamer rack inside cleaned wok and fill wok with water (not above steamer rack), then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and steam cake in pan on rack, covered, 1 hour (replenish water as necessary). Wearing oven mitts, transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.
60 min
- 6.
Run a knife along edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a cutting board, rapping on bottom of pan until cake is released. Blot with paper towels. Cut cake into 1/2-inch cubes.
10 min
- 7.
Beat together eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
3 min
- 8.
Heat dried wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour remaining 4 tablespoons oil down side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl, coating side. When oil begins to smoke, add cake cubes, garlic, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir-fry, letting cake rest on bottom and sides of wok about 10 seconds between stirs, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cubes will soften and may stick to wok. Scrape brown bits from bottom of wok and continue stir-frying.) Add eggs to wok and stir-fry until eggs are just set, about 1 minute. Stir in ketjap manis, sambal oelek, and scallions, then transfer to a serving dish and scatter cilantro on top. Serve with additional sambal oelek.
15 min