Fried Carrot Cake (Chai Tow Kway)
Savory radish cake cubes fried with eggs and preserved radish. Choose 'White' for crispy egg goodness or 'Black' for sweet soy sauce stickiness.
Ingredients
- Cake Base: 300g Rice Flour, 25g Wheat Starch, 600g White Radish (grated), 900ml water
- Frying: 5 Eggs, Garlic (minced), Preserved Radish (Chai Poh - washed and drained)
- Seasoning: Fish sauce, White pepper
- For Black Version: Sweet Dark Soy Sauce
Instructions
Make the Cake
Mix flour and starch with half the water. Cook grated radish with the other half of water until soft. Pour hot radish liquid into flour mixture rapidly to 'cook' slightly. Steam this batter in a tray for 45-60 mins until set. Cool completely (ideally overnight in fridge).
Prep for Frying
Cut the firm radish cake into cubes.
Fry
Heat oil in a flat pan/wok. Fry garlic and chai poh until fragrant. Add cake cubes and fry until surfaces are crispy.
Egg Coating
Pour beaten eggs over the cubes. Let it set slightly, then break it up into chunks. (For 'Black' version, add sweet sauce now). Season with fish sauce.
Serve
Garnish with spring onions and coriander. Serve hot.
Chef's Note
"The texture of the cake is everything. It must be soft but cuttable. If it's too hard, there was too much flour. If too soft, it won't fry properly. Experiment with the water-to-flour ratio!"
