New Ways with Daikon

With thoughts of the recent terrible earthquake in Japan on my mind, I wanted to do something to show solidarity with those who are suffering. Sharing their foods could be one way to connect with them – so here is a recipe that uses Daikon. This very popular Japanese vegetable daikon has the texture of a radish being a long white dense looking root vegetable and may also be known as mooli. It is widely used in Japanese cooking and there are recipes that use it dating back to the 8th century. It is a very versatile vegetable it can be eaten raw, or when cooked used in soups, chopped for salads, shredded for a garnish or grated as a condiment. Its raw texture is crunchy making it a great garnish for sashimi and other fish dishes but when cooked it becomes fairly soft but does not disintegrate. As it is grown all over Japan all year round, there are numerous varieties with different shapes, sizes and hues however the most flavoursome daikon comes on the market in winter. The leaves are often pickled or cooked in miso soup. The roots can be stored for some weeks without the leaves if lifted and kept in a cool dry place.

Daikon & Carrot Salad

This salad of daikon and carrot produces a bright colour combination (orange and white) and is particularly favoured by many Japanese as it is regarded as a symbol of happiness. Ideally start this recipe the day before it is to be eaten.

Preparation Time: 35 minutes plus 30 minutes to salt and 24 hours to marinate

Cooking Time: 3 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients 1 large daikon/ mooli – peeled

2 carrots –peeled

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

4 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame seeds - toasted

Method

1) Cut the daikon and carrots in 3 pieces so that each is 5 cm/ 2 inches. Slice each vegetable very thinly lengthways then crossways to make very thin matchsticks. Alternatively shred them with a grater or use a mandolin to achieve a similar effect.

2) Place the daikon and carrot in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix with your hands. Leave for about 30 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a sieve and gently squeeze out any excess liquid, then transfer to another mixing bowl.

3) To toast the sesame seeds, place in a dry frying pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until golden. Keep an eye on them as they do tend to burn fast! Remove and set aside.

4) Mix the sugar and vinegar together in a bowl. Stir well until the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour over the daikon and carrot and leave for at least a day, mixing 2 to 3 times.

To serve the stylish way: Serve in small Japanese bowls sprinkled with sesame seeds

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