Fried Radish Cake (Chai Tow Kway)

            

Fried radish cake, or chai tow kway (in Hokkien), is a popular Singaporean snack and breakfast dish. It is commonly sold in hawker centers and air-conditioned foodcourts. Often, it is sold as "fried carrot cake".

Now, those who know of carrot cake as that sweet, spongy confection made with grated carrot, nuts, and cream cheese frosting, will be in for a surprise if you come here and order "carrot cake". Our misnomer is probably the legacy of unenlightened translation. Apropos, in Mandarin, carrot is hóng luó bò (hóng = red), and radish is bái luó bò (bái = white). Ergo, someone must have mistakenly thought that "carrot" means luo bo, so it could refer to both the carrot and the radish. Concordantly, we have "fried carrot cake".

(Are you scratching your head over the last paragraph, just like I did after watching the scene where Neo meets The Architect in The Matrix Reloaded? Four words: forget what I said.)

So what is fried radish cake? First, steam a mixture of grated radish, rice flour and water. Let the rice cake cool, preferably refrigerate overnight. Cut into small pieces and fry till soft and slightly charred. Add chopped salted turnip and beaten egg. Pour a thick, sweet-savoury dark sauce over the radish cake pieces, then fry till evenly mixed. This sauce, the key to the success of this dish, is a closely guarded secret.

The plate of fried radish cake in the photo is from a corner stall at Tanjong Pagar Food Centre (opposite Amara Hotel). The stall's name, literally translated from Chinese, is called The '50s Fried Radish Cake. I have my breakfast there nearly every Saturday. I've been told that the present stall-owner is the grandson of the original owner, so their recipe must be decades old! And it still tastes great! I've tried other stalls, but I think this version at Tanjong Pagar is a hard one to beat.

cheers!

Comments

[Fei]

Hi, I stumbled upon your site from mrbrown.com, and was pleasantly surprised by all the food reviews you made!

I was made even happier when you made an article about my grandfather's carrot cake stall! however, you've made an error about the current owner. He's the youngest son of the original owner, making him my uncle (xiao jiu).

My mother used to be the main cook in the stall until she married and moved to Bt Batok. Then, the responsbility of 3 children made her stop work and her youngest brother took over ever since.

In fact, my mother's carrot cake is better than my uncle's! it's a pity she's getting too old to travel from Jurong West to Tanjong Pagar at 5 in the morning...

[Julia]

Hi Fei,

Thanks for the information on your family's carrot cake stall. My family and I are big fans, and your uncle and his assistant knows us as regular customers too. It's a pity your mom had to retire. Your uncle already whips up a mean plate of chai tow kway. Can't imagine how delicious your mom's version is if it's even better than your uncle's. :)