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What Is Fried Carrot Cake?
Fried carrot cake is not made with carrots and is not a cake in the traditional sweet sense. It is a Chinese dish better known as Chai Tow Kway. It is one of many dishes known as dim sum in Cantonese and is present in many Chinese cuisines in China, Malaysia and Singapore. Chai Tow Kway is made from deep-fried radish cubes, but may have a hint of carrot on occasion.
The odd name fried carrot cake comes from the fact that the Cantonese word for daikon or radish is the same as that of carrot. The daikon is a large white radish that forms the center of a number of Asian cuisines and is also used as a garnish. In Japanese cuisine, the daikon is grated over meals such as tonkatsu and dashimaki. Cubed daikon are referred to as cakes in Chinese.
It is possible that daikon carrot cakes can be bought in Chinese or East Asian shops. If not, they are easy to make. Flour and grated daikon are mixed together. The proportions depend on whether the cook wants a texture with more flour or more taste with a larger proportion of daikon. This mixture is mixed with water to make a batter mixture, which is boiled then poured into a tray for steaming.
Chai Tow kway takes about two hours to prepare if the carrot cake has not been prepared in advance or per-bought. It's mixed with other ingredients such as garlic, chai poh and spring onions and is then cooked with eggs. The finished product tends to be enhanced with fish and chili sauces. Fried carrot cake can be made extra spicy with the addition of more chili sauce; other ingredients can be added depending on what the cook wants. This includes meat such as pork or prawns.
Fried carrot cake varies from location to location, but the basic daikon cake plus flower and eggs remains the same. It is extremely common in Teowchew expat communities as found in Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. In Malaysia, for example, the dish is combined with bean sprouts and a dark soy sauce rather than chili sauce. Dried shrimp are a favored ingredient in the Singaporean version.
Chai Tow Kway or deep fried carrot cake can be eaten at any time of the day. Residents of South China, Malaysia and Singapore have been known to eat it as breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is a nutritious and flexible dish.
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![Daikon is the main ingredient in fried carrot cake.]()
By: poshDaikon is the main ingredient in fried carrot cake. -
![Spring onions are often used in fried carrot cake.]()
By: andersphotoSpring onions are often used in fried carrot cake.
Discussion Comments
@Rotergirl -- I know what you mean. I had some kind of doughnut in mind, with a cream cheese glaze. Although, that sounds pretty good, too!
Egg foo yung is probably one of my favorite Americanized Chinese dishes. Most places have a kicking gravy they serve with it. Makes me hungry to think about it! I always ask for extra green onions to serve with my foo yung. I'm friends with the folks who own our local Chinese restaurant, so I'll ask the manager if he ever cooks this, and would he make it for me. They're really great people and very accommodating.
Really, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I read this article title. I couldn't begin to imagine what "fried carrot cake" would be like. From the description, it sounds a lot like the base of egg foo yung or similar. I guess every country in the world has a v version of an omelet or scrambled egg dish of some kind. In Southeast Asia, it's fried carrot cake.
I imagine it's probably pretty good. I like daikon much better than other kinds of radishes. It's not as sharp. Maybe add some shredded potatoes. That sounds OK, too, if not exactly authentic.
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