Fried Carrot Cake
菜头粿

Radish Cake

500 g white radish, peeled and grated
300 ml water
2 tbsps vegetable oil
150 g rice flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper powder

For Frying

2 tbsps sweet chai poh, chopped,soaked in warm water for 5 min and drained
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp fish sauce
3 tbsps vegetable oil
Chopped spring onion and coriander leaves for garnishing
1 tbsp chilli sambal/pepper to taste
2 eggs

1.Fry grated radish in a pot (or non-stick pot) and add 50 ml water. Cook for about 15 mins, or until radish turns translucent

2.Combine rice flour, salt and 250 ml of water into the radish and cook till mix is thick. The final mixture should resemble a somewhat pasty coleslaw.

3.Pour mix into a cake tray and steam on high for 45 mins. Leave it until completely cooled so that the radish cake firms up and is easy to cut. (Best done a day ahead and kept in the fridge to allow it to set and make it easier to cut up)

4.Chop up chunks of radish cake to prep them for frying. In a non-stick skillet, heat oil and fry radish cake till lightly browned and slightly crisp. Add minced garlic and chai poh. Fry till aromatic. Drizzle a little more oil if it is too dry. Add fish sauce, pepper and sambal, if preferred. Fry to coat evenly with seasoning.

5.Pour beaten eggs all over radish cake. Allow the eggs to set slightly, about 3 mins, before flipping over in sections. Fry for another 3 mins.

6.Sprinkle generously with spring onions and coriander leaves. You can now serve your home-made local favourite.

CHEF’S TIP: To make the dark carrot cake version, simply add 2 tbsps dark sweet sauce together with the fish sauce in Step 4