Singapore "Carrot Cake"

A savory Southeast Asian dish made with daikon radish (white carrot), rice flour, and eggs. This traditional dish is pan-fried until golden brown and served with sweet soy sauce, chili sauce, and fresh herbs.

6 servings

1 hr 58 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1 pound daikon (also called Chinese radish or luo bo)
•7 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
•2 teaspoons salt
•1 teaspoon white pepper
•2 cups finely ground rice flour (not sweet; an Asian brand such as Erawan)
•2 cups water
•6 whole large eggs
•2 tablespoons chopped garlic
•¼ cup ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) or thick soy sauce
•1½ teaspoons sambal oelek or Sriracha
•3 whole scallions
•½ cup loosely packed sprigs fresh cilantro
•1 piece well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok with lid

Cooking Instructions

1.
Oil bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan.
2 min
2.
Peel daikon, then shred in a food processor fitted with medium shredding disk. Reserve any liquid.
5 min
3.
Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour 3 tablespoons oil down side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl, coating side. When oil begins to smoke, add daikon with any liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir-fry 3 minutes. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and breaking up daikon occasionally, until daikon is very tender, about 15 minutes.
18 min
4.
Whisk together rice flour and water in a large bowl until smooth, then stir in daikon (mixture will be lumpy) and pour into cake pan.
5 min
5.
Set a steamer rack inside cleaned wok and fill wok with water (not above steamer rack), then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and steam cake in pan on rack, covered, 1 hour (replenish water as necessary). Wearing oven mitts, transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.
60 min
6.
Run a knife along edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a cutting board, rapping on bottom of pan until cake is released. Blot with paper towels. Cut cake into 1/2-inch cubes.
10 min
7.
Beat together eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
3 min
8.
Heat dried wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour remaining 4 tablespoons oil down side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl, coating side. When oil begins to smoke, add cake cubes, garlic, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir-fry, letting cake rest on bottom and sides of wok about 10 seconds between stirs, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cubes will soften and may stick to wok. Scrape brown bits from bottom of wok and continue stir-frying.) Add eggs to wok and stir-fry until eggs are just set, about 1 minute. Stir in ketjap manis, sambal oelek, and scallions, then transfer to a serving dish and scatter cilantro on top. Serve with additional sambal oelek.
15 min

Ingredients

•1 pound daikon (also called Chinese radish or luo bo)

•7 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

•2 teaspoons salt

•1 teaspoon white pepper

•2 cups finely ground rice flour (not sweet; an Asian brand such as Erawan)

•2 cups water

•6 whole large eggs

•2 tablespoons chopped garlic

•¼ cup ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) or thick soy sauce

•1½ teaspoons sambal oelek or Sriracha

•3 whole scallions

•½ cup loosely packed sprigs fresh cilantro

•1 piece well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok with lid

Cooking Instructions

Oil bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan.

2 min

Peel daikon, then shred in a food processor fitted with medium shredding disk. Reserve any liquid.

5 min

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour 3 tablespoons oil down side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl, coating side. When oil begins to smoke, add daikon with any liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir-fry 3 minutes. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and breaking up daikon occasionally, until daikon is very tender, about 15 minutes.

18 min

Whisk together rice flour and water in a large bowl until smooth, then stir in daikon (mixture will be lumpy) and pour into cake pan.

5 min

Set a steamer rack inside cleaned wok and fill wok with water (not above steamer rack), then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and steam cake in pan on rack, covered, 1 hour (replenish water as necessary). Wearing oven mitts, transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.

60 min

Run a knife along edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a cutting board, rapping on bottom of pan until cake is released. Blot with paper towels. Cut cake into 1/2-inch cubes.

10 min

Beat together eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.

3 min

Heat dried wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour remaining 4 tablespoons oil down side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl, coating side. When oil begins to smoke, add cake cubes, garlic, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir-fry, letting cake rest on bottom and sides of wok about 10 seconds between stirs, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cubes will soften and may stick to wok. Scrape brown bits from bottom of wok and continue stir-frying.) Add eggs to wok and stir-fry until eggs are just set, about 1 minute. Stir in ketjap manis, sambal oelek, and scallions, then transfer to a serving dish and scatter cilantro on top. Serve with additional sambal oelek.

15 min