the ultimate food...daikon!

I have been searching through old threads but can't seem to find a recipe where daikon is the main ingredient. I just found a local grocer that carries the big size daikon like I saw in Japan and I bought some but just don't have a good recipe. I really like how my husbands mom prepared it. I swear all she did was boil it in soy sauce with some other unkown vegetables and a brown tofu. I am not sure and my husband has no clue. I found some recipes on the internet but they weren't traditional Japanese recipes. Actually any recipe would be appreciated!:gohan:

Oh, hopefully they can be meat and seafood free recipes!

1/2 lb fresh crab meat
1 tbl mayonnaise
1 tbl minced chives
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly-ground white pepper
1/4 lb daikon - (2" to 2 1/2" dia)
Blanched chives or green onion tops for tying

Method :

Combine the crab meat, mayonnaise, minced chives, salt and pepper in a bowl.
With a mandoline or slicer, cut the daikon into thin circles. Place 1 teaspoon of the crab mixture onto each daikon circle. Fold in half. Loop one chive or green onion top around the folded daikon and tie into a knot.

This recipe yields 15 pieces.
Yield: 15 pieces

Daikon - A root vegetable said to have originated in the Mediterranean, daikon is a type of radish that was brought to China for cultivation around 500 BC. A white-fleshed winter radish, daikon has a thin, smooth skin (also found in black, pink or green) with a firm, crisp flesh and a delicately peppery flavor. The most common variety looks like a large white carrot, but the resemblance stops there. Daikon is the wonder food of natural foods. It has the ability to aid the body in the breakdown of accumulated, hardened fats. Daikon has a mildly hot, peppery taste that helps the body to digest oil, fat and protein. On top of that, daikon is a root vegetable, meaning that it can work its magic deeply in the organ systems, breaking down accumulations of fat in the organs, allowing the body to relax and let go if its excesses.
Daikon is a root vegetable; member of the radish family. However, it typically isn't hot, like red radishes.
It is long and white, looking somewhat like a big carrot. When fresh, it is great sliced or grated, and added to salads. It is very popular in Japanese and macrobiotic diets and is often considered to aid digestion.
I love it simply sliced with a drop of soy sauce on it. It's also wonderful in stir fries...much better (IMHO) than canned waterchestnuts.
Daikon is available in most grocery stores these days, and can also be found in Asian markets, etc...
NOTES : I like Daikon a lot since it can be cooked in broth, pickled, stew or even eat raw.
Actually, it looks like carrots only it is white and bigger and longer. Kombu is the base of broth
for Japanese dish. It also can be stewed with soy sauce. It is good because it has iodine.

(will be updated for more recipe's this was Herbal☆ (also wellknown as the clumsy cook )

I would have to work around the crab...not really my taste...but the idea of using the daikon as a pocket is clever. I bet I could substitute some cut up tofu for crab.......

mmm daikon. So far my favourite incarnations of daikon have been as minced garnishes and chunky sauces served over fish, (usually with ginger and/or garlic) as well as the soft savoury daikon found in oden during the cold seasons. Herbal's recipe sounds delicious

If you are boiling it in soy, you need to put mirin and sake in as well, usually about the same amounts (I use about 6 table spoons), as well as a cup of dashi (stock, made with benito flakes or 'dashi powder').

Can I omit the dashi...it's just too darn fishy tasting, and add more soy sauce? Is there a different soy sauce for making broth? I was reading a recipe and they said to use a thick soy sauce. I have mirin and sake so maybe I can just use sake, mirin and soy sauce. Oh maybe I could use a chicken instant soup packet instead of dashi...I might give that a try. Also, does anyone here use msg in their cooking? My mother-in-law uses it in everything and I am wondering if it adds a different flavor than just salt? I'm making the daikon tomorrow so we'll see what happens! Thanks!

I just use salt, and if you don't like the dashi flavour, just make it weaker Bonito based dashi is used in almost everything, things like gyudon still use it and don't have any of the fish flavour or smell.

Normal soy sauce is fine.

daikon recipe

I've never had daikon by itself except in oden. Maybe you should try to make oden (and don't forget the karashi--mustard).

Anyway, is this what you're looking for?
//little-note.blogspot.com/2006/03/test-recipe-braised-daikon.html

IMHO, daikon is used best as a grated condiment with ponzu sauce for nabemono!!!

Yes, that was one of the recipes I found. It looks good to me!

I think tonight I am just going to cook the daikon with some other veggies, like carrots, potatoes, parsnips and rutabaga in a soy based soup (with the added sake and mirin per ewok85) and when they are just about done I'll throw in some lightly pan fried tofu. It's a fun experiment and I am sure it will be edible, maybe just not traditional. Oh, I'll add some menma too, and maybe water chestnuts.

Ah, the mighty daikon! Isn't it supposed to be good for the blood?

Goldiegirl said:

Also, does anyone here use msg in their cooking?

Click to expand...

I never use msg myself, because i've read a lot about it being an excitotoxin, and thus potentially neurotoxic (i.e. damaging to the brain). Now, scientists are divided on this, and it remains completely controversial, so it's really up to the individual to read up on it a little and decide for themselves.

There's a little about it on the Wikipedia page for MSG:

Monosodium glutamate - Wikipedia

I have been told that it was good for the blood and also your digestion. My in-law's eat it at every meal for that reason. The whole msg issue is simple I love it on sekihan with the little black seeds. mmmm...so good. I guess for some people it is a problem, but I have found most people around my area who say they are "allergic" to msg really aren't. They eat so many foods(lot's of instant ramen etc.) with msg in them they don't realize they are ingesting it, however if you told them it was in there they would "get a headache and feel sick". I know, some people do have allergies so I am in no way denying that it exists. My mom was told to use some msg instead of salt because it is better for her high blood pressure. I am not sure of the medical reasoning there...Anyway I'll probably add a pinch to the veggies just because!

I need to look up some cooking books for detailed recipes, but it's always a good idea to parboil or precook daikon before seasoning. After peeling and slicing, remove the edge of daikon to keep it from falling apart. I think you're supposed to use "togi jiru" or water you get after washing white rice to cook, but when you don't have it handy (e.g., you only eat brown rice or musen-mai/no-wash rice), add a pinch of white rice grains in the water. I like to cook with a small piece of kombu, but that's optional. Cook until daikon is tender.

Then, use this daikon to make the nimono. If you are not a big fan of fish-based dashi, consider using dried shiitake. Also, you can use vegitable or chicken broth to cook daikon with other veggies. Umami is the flavor you get from dashi, and it's considered another dimention of seasoning. It's beyond salty, sweet or spicy. But that's another show... Where's Alton Brown when we need him? Anyhoo...

When you get a whole daikon, save the top part (where the leaves are) for daikon oroshi. That's the sweetest part. Mid-part is good for cooking. The tip is usually too hot or karai for eating raw. I'll chop it up and add to miso soup with abura age.

Furofuki Daikon is a popular dish. Just google the recipe.

If you don't mind using "hondashi," consider using the oden soup base to season your nimono. Cook daikon with abura age or atsuage (thick fried tofu), other root veggies (you can buy frozen mix at Japanese grocery stores), maybe some chicken and konnyaku. Add some boiled snow peas for color when you serve.

If you have the top part of daikon, cut it matchstick-like or julienne and make a salad. Top daikon with katsuobushi, kaiware, crispy bacon bits or whatever you would like, and serve with your favorite dressing.

More later...maybe...

WOW, more please. Lot's of ideas! Thank-you A LOT!

Goldiegirl, I wasn't talking about allergies to msg, (which do exist of course, for some people, as you quite rightly say), I meant that the scientific world is divided, with some saying msg is harmless, but others highligh it as a factor in very grave neurological problems such as dementia and strokes. The links follow on from the first web page I posted, so that those that're interested can decide for themselves.

I'm sorry to divert your thread about the wonderful daikon, quite probably i'll start a new thread on msg. It was merely a response to the question you posed, and then again to your reply on the subject.

Forgive my interruption - let all things daikon continue!!

(Hopefully in the incredible manner in which NekoMama7 has posted thoughts! )

mos no problem...I think it's really interesting. I did read the articles and I am happy for the added intrigue!

Success! Yay...everything tasted really good. I used a little instant chicken soup for the dashi and it worked for me anyway. I think it tasted really closed to what I had in Japan. I am happy. I think though that the daikon I bought was old, the outside edge was kind of tough and stringy, but we just cut that part off and the rest was tender. I can't find the fried or baked tofu that you can get in Japan so I improvised. I bought extra firm tofu and cut in into cubes and soaked in soy sauce and some garlic and a little hot sauce ( I love hot and spicy food ) for a few hours and then lightly fried it in a really hot pan coated with cooking spray oil. It was great in the soup/stew mix that I made. It's a good night, and I am thankful that I have food to cook and to eat.

heheh, well im glad you are happy!!

here's a cake

DAIKON RADISH CAKE (LAW BOCK GOW)

2 Lb Daikon radish, grated
1 oz. dried shrimp
1 1/3 cups dried shitake
5 oz Chinese sausage ( lap cheong )
1 tbs oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tsp sugar
3 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
1 2/3 cups rice flour
oil for frying

Place the daikon radish in a large bowl and vover with boiling water to 5 minutes. Drain, reserving any liquid, then allow the turnip to drain in a colander. When it is cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess liquid. Place in a large bowl

Soak the dried shrimp in boiling water for 1 hr, then drain, adding any soaking liquid to the reserved daikon radish liquid

Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes ( or until they are soft enough ), then drain, adding any soaking liquid to the reserved daikon radish liquid. Squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms. Remove and discard them stems and finely dice the caps


Place the sausage on a plate in a steamer. Cover and steam over simmering water in a wok for 10 minutes, then finely dice it

Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and heat until very hot. Stir-fry the sausage for 1 minute. Then add the shrimp and mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 mintues, or until fragrant. Add the scallions, sugar, rice wine and pepper, then add the daikon radish, cilantro and rice flour and toss to combine. Pour in 2 cups of the reserved liquid and mix well

Place the mixture in a greased and lined 10 inch square cake pan. Place the pan in a steamer. Cover and steam over simmering water in a wok for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours, or until firm, replenishing with boiling water during cooking. Remove the pan and cool in a fridge overnight. Take the cake from the pan and cut into 2 inch squares that are 1/2 inch thick


Heat a wok over high heat, add 2 tbs of the oil and heat until very hot. Cook the turnip cakes in batches, adding more oil between batches if necessary, until golden and crispy


[this i found on a site DAIKON RADISH CAKE (LAW BOCK GOW)]

and i must say they're good

I have a feeling that Goldiegirl wanted some home style Japanese recipes with daikon...
Here's a good book, Quick & Easy Japanese Cookbook by Katsuyo Kobayashi. She's a very popular TV chef (think Paula Dean) in Japan and she published countless number of cookbooks in Japan. Her recipes are basically homestyle Mom cooking. Her niku jaga recipe is very famous. This book is her collection of basic Japanese home style cooking in English. You can probably find it at Borders or B&N, too. I'm pretty much sure this book contains some daikon recipes as well. If you read Japanese, you may want to try one of her many Japanese cookbooks as well as her son, Kentaro's books, too.
I'm thinking of making a pot of curry with daikon in it.

Wow - another interesting food I'm keen to try. Good I found this thread now as I'm off to the supermarket and there's a Japanese food store on the way!

Rice Stew with Daikon (Daikon Zosui)
Serves 5

2 ½ cups cooked short-grain rice*
¾ cup shiitake mushrooms*
1 ½ cups daikon (about a four-inch-long chunk), sliced as directed*
¼ cup carrots, sliced as directed*
½ cup Wakame, soaked five minutes in cold water to cover, then chopped into one-inch long pieces (discard soaking water)
5 cups fish stock (if unavailable, use chicken or vegetable stock)*
1 teaspoon salt*
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce*

Peel the daikon and carrot, and slice into two-inch-long by one-half-inch wide ribbons that are no more than one-eighth-inch thick. Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms also. Heat the stock in a soup pan with the daikon and carrot, and cook until the vegetables have softened, around 10 minutes. Add the cooked rice, mushrooms and wakame, and bring to the boil again, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and soy sauce. Eat hot. Partners well with Daikon Pickles. (Note: Be careful not to cook the rice too long; otherwise, it will end up the unappetizing consistency of glue.)

Quick Daikon Pickles

1 ½ cups daikon, sliced into match-like strips*
½ cup hothouse cucumber, seeds removed, sliced into match-like strips
½ teaspoon freshly minced lemon peel*
Piece of kombu, around 4 inches long and 1 inch wide*
1 teaspoon salt*
Soy sauce, to taste*

Put the daikon and cucumber into a plastic bag. Break the kombu into one-to-two-inch slivers, and add to the plastic bag. Sprinkle with salt and lemon peel. Close plastic bag. Work salt into vegetables by squeezing them in the plastic bag. Lay the bag flat and place two 16-ounce cans on top of the closed bag, spreading the weight over the vegetables inside. Let stand two hours. Remove vegetables from bag. Gently squeeze out water. Sprinkle with a little soy sauce. Enjoy with rice.

Greetz, Herbal☆.

Both recipes look great! Thanks. I'll be back in Japan on the 29th and am looking forward to my mother-in-laws cooking. She knows how much I love daikon. I have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.