Called Tsaitaogwey (菜头粿) in Hokkien, this version of the quintessentially Minnan Daikon Cake is now a ubiquitous Singaporean fare.

To make the Tsaitaogwey (daikon cake) 菜頭粿, please first follow my basic recipe here.

There are two versions to this Singaporean rendition: white (with fish sauce) and dark (with sweet soy sauce). The white version is savoury while the dark is sweet.

Recipe: Carry It Like Harry: Stir-fried Tsaitaogwey (daikon cake) with eggs 蛋炒菜頭粿 – White Version

Ingredients:

  • A block of roughly 12x12cm steamed Tsaitaogwey (daikon cake) 菜頭粿
  • 6 big raw prawns, shelled and deveined (optional, but I really like this)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tbs pickled daikon called “chai po” (菜脯), finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • White pepper powder, to taste
  • Dash of Thai fish sauce
  • 4 tbs vegetable oil

Garnish:

  • 1 sprig of spring onion, chopped
  • 1 sprig of coriander
  • Dried chili flakes

Serving: 2 persons

Instructions:

  1. Heat your wok with oil at medium heat. Fry your daikon cake until both sides are crispy.
  2. Cut your daikon cakes into bite-size irregular pieces with your spatula and continue to fry until the tiny blocks are all crispy.
  3. Beat your eggs and stir-fry with the blocks of crispy daikon cakes.
  4. Add another two tablespoonful of oil to the centre of the wok and add in your chopped garlic and pickled daikon. Once the aroma is released, add in your prawns and stir-fry. When cooked, push the daikon and egg mixture back into the centre of the wok and stir-fry the whole mixture for another 10 seconds.
  5. Just before serving, turn the heat up to high and add in your dash of Thai fish sauce and stir-fry for another 10 seconds. This will give a nice burnt aroma to the dish.
  6. Turn off the fire and add in your chopped spring onion, stir well and serve on a plate. Give a dash of white pepper and dried chilli flakes, then garnish with coriander.

Recipe: Carry It Like Harry: Stir-fried Tsaitaogwey (daikon cake) with eggs 蛋炒菜頭粿 – Dark Version

Ingredients:

  • Same as above, except to replace Thai fish sauce by 1 tbs sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis, in Malay)

Instructions:

  1. Same as above. Except instead of using a dash of fish sauce, use one tablespoon of sweet soy sauce. Stir-fry very quickly as the sweet soy sauce my caramelise very fast.
  2. Serve garnished with spring onion and coriander.