Chinese Soy Sauce Braised Radish (酱油煨萝卜)
Rated 2.7 stars by 6 users
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Daikon radish is a beloved root vegetable in Chinese cuisine. It is called lo bak in Cantonese or luobo in Mandarin. It is also known as winter radish because winter is its harvest season. Chinese Soy Sauce Braised Radish is the easiest way to cook it. You can serve it as a healthy side dish. The radish absorbs lots of flavors. The texture becomes tender and meaty. I, alone, can eat all of it without anything else. That is how good it is. Another thing I like to do is to save the braising broth for the next day and boil some noodles in it for breakfast.
Ingredients
- 680g / 1.5 lb radish, weighed after peeled
- 1.5 Tbsps of cooking oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1 dried red chilies, optional
- 1/2 tsp of Sichuan peppercorns
- 1.5 Tbsps of soybean paste
- 3 Tbsps of soy sauce
- 2.5 cups of water
- 1/4 cup diced cilantro as garnish
Directions
Peel the radish skin. I suggest peeling another layer after the skin is removed. I found that the daikon radish in the USA is not as sweet as the ones that I had in China. It is more on the bitter side, and it gives the soup a slightly bitter aftertaste. The skin contains more bitter elements, so it is very important to double-peel it.
- Cut the radish into 2/3-inch thick rounds, then stack the rounds and cut them into bite-size pieces.
- Place a pot over a medium-heat stove and add oil, the diced shallot, garlic, and, optionally, dried red chili and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir for 2 minutes.
- Add soybean paste and soy sauce. Keep stirring for a minute.
- Add the daikon radish and pour in 2.5 cups of water. You can use vegetable stock if you want. Bring the pot to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add diced cilantro and serve.
