Hello everyone. Do you like daikon radish? As many of you may know, it is a vegetable that can be enjoyed in various ways of cutting and cooking, from salads to nimono simmered dishes and nabe hot pot dishes.
Daikon is the most familiar root vegetable in Japan. Originally cultivated in ancient Egypt, it came to Japan via China. One of the seven spring plants (Haru no Nanakusa) in Japan called Suzushiro refers to daikon. There are many varieties of daikon, and they come in various sizes and shapes. With the Japanese daikon, the white one is the most common, and the type of daikon sold at Maido is also the white one. (You can get Suzuki Farm's daikon!)
You might not know how to cook daikon, but don't worry. Today, we will introduce recipes using daikon, and later in the week, we will introduce some trivia about daikon. Let's get started.
*Please note we currently offer daikon without leaves at the store. (You will know the reason why we cut off the leaves if you read this week's blog post!)
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(Recipe) Daikon Salad
This is an addictive salad that you will finish eating before you know it. This is a very simple recipe, so it is easy to make and is recommended for cooking beginners, people who are not very good cooks, and lazy people, as well as people who love cooking.
Ingredients (2 Servings):
8.8 oz. / 250 g of daikon
0.1 oz. / 3 g of bonito flakes
Sliced nori seaweed to your liking
*1 tbsp of mentsuyu soup base (3 times concentrated)
*1 tbsp of ponzu
*1 tbsp of sesame oil
*1 tsp of granuated dashi soup stock
Directions:
1. Peel and cut daikon into thin strips.
2. Put the daikon from step 1 and top with bonito flakes and nori seaweed.
3. Mix all the ingredients starting with a "*" and pour it over what you made in step 2. Enjoy.
Tips:
If you don't have enough sauce, you can double the amount.
Use 1.5 tbsp for 2 times concentrated mentsuyu.
Use 2 tsp + a little more for 4 times concentrated mentsuyu.
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(Recipe) Daikon Teriyaki Steak
When everyone's favorite teriyaki sauce is tossed with daikon, a hearty yet healthy side dish is ready to serve. Not only it goes well with rice, but it is also a great nibble for alcoholic beverages. It can be recommended for those who are on a diet as well.
Ingredients (4 Pieces):
3.2" / 8 cm of daikon
*2 tbsp of soy sauce
*2 tbsp of mayonnaise
*2 tbsp of sugar
*2 tbsp of mirin
*1 tbsp of cooking sake
Moderate amount of flour
1 tbsp of oil
Directions:
1. Cut the daikon into 0.8" / 2 cm thick slices, peel, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
2. Combine all the seasonings starting with a "*" and mix well.
3. Drain off the water from the boiled daikon, pat dry with kitchen paper, and poke multiple holes with a bamboo skewer or a fork.
4. Sprinkle a little flour on both sides.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and cook daikon over medium heat. When browned, turn over.
6. Turn off the heat and add the seasonings from step 2. Turn on the heat again to low and toss the daikon with the seasonings.
7. When it starts to simmer, be careful not to burn the daikon.
8. Place the daikon on a plate and pour the sauce over the daikon. It is ready.
Easy recipe: Cut the daikon into bite-sized pieces, boiled them, and sauteed them with the same seasonings. Since it is not made into steak, it is easier to cook, even without the flour.
Tips:
Be careful with the sauce, as it burns easily.
By boiling the daikon thoroughly, the cooking time in the frying pan turns very short.
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Daikon and Satoimo Taro with Ground Meat Stew
Winter vegetables are served with a thick ground meat starchy sauce. The thickening of the sauce keeps the dish hot longer and warms your body. It goes very well with white rice, and you might want to keep eating. One bowl of rice may not be enough for you.
Ingredients (2-3 Servings):
10-14 oz. / 300-400 g of daikon (peeled)
7-10 oz. / 200-300g satoimo taro (peeled)
5.3 oz. / 150 g of ground pork (or other meat)
*2 tbsp of soy sauce
*3 tbsp of cooking sake
*2 tsp of sugar
*0.5 tsp of granuted dashi soup stock
13.5 fl.oz. / 400 ml of water
Appropriate amount of oil (for frying)
A little katakuriko potato starch dissolved in water (katakuriko 1: water 2)
Satoimo taro is a starchy root vegetable that is widely enjoyed in Japanese simmered dishes and hearty soups.
Directions:
1. Cut the daikon and satoimo into bite-size pieces.
2. Fry the ground meat in oil in a pan until it becomes fluffy.
3. Add what you prepared in step 1 and fry further to spread the oil throughout.
4. Add the seasonings starting with a "*" and water and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over medium heat until the water comes to a boil.
5. Remove any scum that comes out during cooking.
6. When the daikon and satoimo are softened...
7. Add katakuriko potato starch dissolved in water and stir until it gets thicken to your liking.
8. Serve on a plate and enjoy.
Tip:
Cutting daikon and satoimo to about the same size will make them cook evenly.
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Daikon and Pork Belly Mille-Feuille Nabe Hot Pot
This is a recipe for mille-feuille nabe hot pot in which sliced daikon and pork belly are alternately layered and simmered. The soft daikon, which contains the flavor of the meat, is superb! It is perfect for when you want to eat a lot of vegetables or consume a large quantity of daikon.
Once prepared in advance, all you need to do is simmer it, and since it is a beautiful nabe dish that does not easily fall apart, it is recommended as a party dish.
Ingredients (4-5 servings):
35 oz. / 1 kg of daikon
14 oz. / 400 g of pork belly (thinly sliced)
20 fl.oz. / 600 ml of water
3 tbsp of cooking sake
A pinch of salt
*2 tbsp of soy sauce
*2 tbsp of mirin
*1 tbsp of granuated dashi soup stock
*2 tsp of grated ginger (fresh / tube)
*1 tsp of grated garlic (fresh / tube)
Scallions as garnish
Ponzu as dipping sauce to your liking
Directions:
1. peel the daikon thickly and cut into 0.15-0.2" / 4-5 mm wide rounds. Cut the pork belly into 2" / 5 cm pieces.
2. Layer the daikon and pork belly alternately 4-5 times. If the meat is too thin for the thickness of the daikon, sandwich several pieces at a time.
3. Arrange what you made in step 2 along the edge of the pot. Basically, arrange them in an upright position along the edge of the pot, but if the pot is too large for the ingredients, press down lightly from above to avoid gaps, and lay them diagonally. You may use a deep pan with a lid instead of a pot.
4. Shape the arranged ingredients and place any extra daikon or pork belly in the center.
5. add water and cooking sake, cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat.
6. Remove scum when it comes to a simmer. Mix all ingredients starting with a "*" together.
7. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. When daikon is softened, season with salt to taste (if you will eat with ponzu, it is recommended to add no or little salt). Cover again and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. top with scallions as desired, and serve.
Tip:
When cutting into round slices of daikon, it is recommended to cut into 0.15-0.2" / 4-5 mm widths, as they are difficult to arrange if too thin.
pork belly
ground pork
sesame oil
soy sauce
mentsuyu soup base
ponzu
cooking sake
mirin
dashi soup stock
salt
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There is a lot of food items, housewares, stationery, and gifts available at the store and our online store, Maido! Kairashi Shop, where you can place your order for shipping or store pickup! Happy shopping. :)
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