White radish or daikon is one of my favourite vegetable simply because its delicious in Indian cooking (any cooking really!). It absorbs all the spices and flavour while becoming translucent, and the flesh is just soft and juicy…the melt in your mouth kind! It can taste a little bitter at times, depending on the radish but I kinda enjoy that slight bitterness to it. This recipe is easy using basic ingredients that you can get at most grocers.
This is what you need:
- 1 medium sized white radish – skin peeled and chopped into thin slices
- 1 red chilli
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small shallot
- 1 thumb size ginger
- 1 Tbsp dried shrimp – rehydrated
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper
This is how you make it:
- Coarsely blitz the chilli, garlic, ginger, shallot and shrimp to a paste
- Heat up the oil in a pan on a slow heat, then add the paste, stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the mustard seeds and radish. Give that about 30 seconds and add the turmeric and curry powder
- Turn up the heat to medium, and stir for another 30 seconds before adding the water.
- Add salt and pepper, and let the radish cook down till the water evaporates.
- I like to add abit of coriander leaves and a tiny bit of lime juice on top before serving.
Taste your radish, if its not cooked/translucent , then add a bit more water and let it cook down. It should be translucent and soft and full of flavour! Some people add a tiny bit of sugar to their radish if its bitter, so you can try that too.
Perfect to accompany any curries you have or just on its own. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!