Call it Fried Daikon Pancake for enhanced effect. |
When you take steamed rice flour cakes done with daikon and carrot shreds, fry them and simply season it with salt or soy sauce, you get fried carrot cake. That’s what I call a desperate food version – because you have to eat and it fills you up (a version, so sad, that it can make you question existence.) But if you are spoiled for choice (like being born here posted 70’s, in the first place), then you would have been used to versions that come well fried and fragranced with garlic and preserved radish bits, and enriched with eggs. And they also offer you that same salty version that comes black, as it’s cleverly countered with sweet and dark caramelized soy sauce. It makes you thank your lucky stars that ingenious ( which was borne of desperation) street food vendors here are always attempting a one-up on their peers (some add shrimps, ikan bilis and even, perhaps soon, lobster cubes with XO sauce, just so they can justify eight more of your hard earned dollars for that plate of chai tow kway.) They turn this desperate peasant street food into something you desperately yearn for ever so often. The best plate of chai tow kway or, if you are inclined to give this dish a Japanese slant, fried daikon (radish) cakes, I’ve ever had was in Penang, at the Chowrasta market in town. They call it kueh kak, and it comes close to the version that makes me question the meaning of life, except, and it’s a big exception, they fry it like how a wok god would do so. Each of the soft own-made kueh on that plate was so well fried- seared perfectly outside and just short of turning chow tah (burnt), and is flavoured simply with some fish sauce, chopped garlic and chai po (preserved radish). They texturise it with quick seared bean sprouts. It was wok-hei (breath of a wok) on a plate brought to life by the crunchy sprouts and chai po, just brilliant. Then there are the usual top name suspects here that has been dishing out that same recipe decades in and out. Like the Fu Ming Shu Shi (85 Redhill Lane, #01-49 Redhill Food Centre) folks. They fry their soft and flavourful cakes on such high heat that it comes seared outside and soft and moist within. That whole platter of chai tow kueh wobbles when you shake and rock it. There is also Mr Ngerng (Block 107, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, 01-164) who is so meticulous, diligent and methodic with each plate he fries (because that’s the only way he knows how), his food quality has earned him the Makansutra Street Food Master title a few years back. But these folks are a vanishing breed, these days many who fry them cannot even pronounce it properly and good luck if you try ordering in something other than their native ulu part of China lingo- a “carrot cake half black and white please” will probably get you a “ Xe Mer ah?”. So the best revenge is - make it yourself. A uniquely, your Singapore pancake style (I am not quite done with my Uniquely Singapore as yet.)
Ingredients (for two)
Method: |
