Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish Recipes

 

Availability: September-October (often we have this vegetable available through to March as it stores well in the root cellar)

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Daikon stores well and should last at least a month.

How to eat: Daikon radishes are a tasty vegetable most often used in parts of Asia. They can be used in stir-fries, raw in salads or when making Korean Kimchee.

How to preserve: Make kimchi!  See cabbage for a recipe.

Baked Radishes

Delicious side dish that brings out the sweetness of radishes!  And beautiful when made with colored flesh radishes, too!

1/2 lb radishes, trimmed and halved if using small summer radishes, or trimmed and cut into wedges if using larger winter radishes or daikons
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Steam radishes 5 minutes.  Drain and arrange in a shallow baking dish.  Combine honey, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan.  Warm and stir until butter is melted.  Pour over radishes. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until tender, about 30 minutes.

Chinese Stewed Daikon Radish

Great winter dish served this over rice!

1 Daikon radish, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
½ cup onions, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger root, peeled and chopped
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar or other sweetener
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Heat oil on medium high and add onions and ginger.  Stir fry 1 min.  Add ½ to 1 cup water and the rest of the ingredients except sesame oil.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer covered until daikon is tender.  Uncover and boil away any remaining water into a sauce.  Add sesame oil, check salt, and serve hot!

Chinese Style Daikon Stir-fry

3 TBSP cooking oil 
2 TSP ginger, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
2-3 inches Daikon radish, quartered and sliced
1/2 pound broccoli, cut into small flowerettes (or other vegetable like sliced carrots, green beans, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.)
2 TBSP natural soy sauce
2 TBSP white wine or rice wine
4-6 TBSP water

Heat oil on medium heat in skillet and saute onion and ginger for 10 minutes stirring until soft.  Add Daikon, broccoli, soy sauce, wine, and 4 TBSP water.  Cover and steam for 10 minutes or until broccoli is soft.  Lift cover periodically, stir, and add additional water if needed.  Serve hot.  Serves 2-4.

Daikon Radish & Potato Gratin
  • 2 cups peeled & thinly sliced Daikon
  • 4 cups peeled & thinly sliced potatoes
  • 3 TBLS butter
  • 1 cup sliced onions
  • Salt & pepper
  • Dried thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375. Boil radishes in water for 10 min until fork tender. Drain. Saute onions in butter until soft. In a greased baking dish (~9x13) layer: radishes & potates, then onions, then a sprinkle of the spices/garlic. Repeat, finishing with a radish layer. Pour over the cream. Sprinkle the cheese on the top. Bake for 50 min or until tender.

Marinated Daikon Slices

I got bored and wanted to make an appetizer for our meal recently so I made this yummy hors d'oeurve dish.  It was delicious and mellowed out the spiciness of the radish!

1/2 pound daikon radish, trimmed and thinly sliced
soy sauce
vinegar

Arrange the sliced daikon radish on a plate or small serving dish all in one layer.  Pour over some soy sauce and vinegar at a ratio of 4:1 soy sauce to vinegar.  Make sure all of the radish slices are touching the marinade.  Let sit at room temperature for 1/2 to 1 hour.  Then drain and serve.

Pickled Winter Radishes

This is a quick pickle that you can keep in your fridge.  Easy and delicious!

1-1 1/2 cups winter radishes, cut into half moons (daikon or whole small summer radishes will work, too)
1 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 pint jar, with lid

Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt and mix around until the sugar and salt have dissolved into the liquid.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes or until you can easily put your finger in the liquid without burning it.  Stuff your jart with slices of radish and cover with the vinegar/sugar/salt mixture.  Put a lid on your pickles and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  You can start eating these refrigerator pickles as soon as you want to and they will get more flavorful the longer you leave them in the fridge.

Radish and Kale Stir-fry Meal
  • Cooking oil
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1-2 Daikon radishes, thinly sliced
  • ½ pound kale, chopped
  • Rice or rice noodles, cooked
  • Protein of choice, prepared
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in skillet on medium-high. Add onion and radishes, stirring quickly until tender crisp. Add kale, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in following dressing: 1 TBLS grated garlic, 1 TBLS grated ginger, 2 TBLS soy sauce, 1 TBLS cider vinegar, 1 TBLS sesame oil. Serve with rice and protein of choice.

Radishes in Cream

1 pound radishes, trimmed and coarsely chopped (or if using small summer radishes, leave them whole and trimmed)
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh herbs (optional)

Simmer the radish chunks in salted water until crisp-tender about 10 minutes.  Drain well.  In skillet, heat butter and add flour and cayenne pepper and stir contantly to absorb the flour.  Wisk in the cream and continue to wisk over medium heat until mixture becomes thick.  Be careful not to burn it though.  Add the radishes and stir to coat.  Add lemon juice just before serving.

Thai Green Radish Salad

Just a note: this can be made with ANY color radish despite the title :)

When Gene studied abroad during college he enjoyed a green papaya salad almost daily with his host family.  This is a different version that is inspired by this tropical salad using winter radishes instead.  We like to use "green meat" or green daikons to mimic the color of green papayas but you may use watermelon, black spanish, purple, or even small summer radishes also.  Enjoy its spicy taste to enhance any meal!

1 lb. radish, coarsely grated/julienned
½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
¼-1 tsp chili flakes (to taste)
1 ½ Tbls fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 ½ Tbls vegetable oil
2 Tbls lime juice
2 tsp honey

Whisk together chili flakes, fish sauce, oil, lime juice, and honey until well mixed and honey is dissolved. Pour this dressing over the radish in a bowl and toss to coat. Taste and adjust flavorings to taste. Garnish with the peanuts and serve.

Vietnamese Daikon and Carrot Quick Pickles

This makes 1 quart.

½-3/4 pound carrots, peeled and julienned
½-3/4 pound daikon radish, peeled and julienned
2 cups warm water
1-2 TBLS sugar
2-3 TSP salt
1/3 cup vinegar (white or cider is fine)

Stuff the carrots and Daikon into a quart jar. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Sample the brine and adjust to your taste. Pour into quart jar to cover veggies. Put on a lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days to let flavors develop. Will keep in fridge for 2-3 weeks. Great compliment to a hot meal, on a sandwich, or as a snack.
 

Winter Radish and Apple Slaw

This recipe is best with very crisp tart apples to set off the other flavors of the radish and the dressing.  This recipe is also quite versitale and I encourage you to experiment with other vegetables or different dressings using whatever you have on hand!

1-2 granny smith apples, peeled & julienned
1-3 Winter/Daikon radishes, peeled & grated
1-2 carrots, peeled & grated (optional)
1-2 tablespoons minced onion (or garlic or shallot)

 Mix all above together and pour over the following dressing recipe.  Toss to combine.  Taste.  Adjust seasonings as desired. Cover and refrigerate. Serve cold.

For the dressing, whisk together:

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
3 tablespoons vinegar (rice or whatever you have)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ to 1 tablespoon sugar, honey, or maple syrup
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon minced ginger root (or ½ teaspoon powder)
Salt and pepper to taste

Winter Radish Soup

You will find a ton of soup recipes on our website because I just adore soup, especially in the winter!  This recipe takes the bite out of radishes and transforms them into a beautiful mellow soup perfect for a chilly day.

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup minced onion
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 pound radishes (any kind summer, winter, daikon, etc.), trimmed and chopped
1/4 cup rice
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
yogurt to taste (I used about 1/4 cup)
fresh herb (optional)

In a pot, heat butter on medium.  Saute onions gently for a few minutes, stirring until translucent.  Add broth, rice, radishes, and bring to a boil.  Simmer until everything is tender, about 20 minutes.  Blend and stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Serve hot and top with optional minced fresh herb.