Make a comforting and healthy one-pot dinner with daikon radish and a protein of your choice! {paleo}
Wednesdays and Thursdays are always the most challenging days for a home cook, because you’ve probably used the weekend leftovers and you’re not ready for a splurge yet. They are also the days when you’re swamped with work and wish it were already Friday. The last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen, to chop, cook, and clean up.
This braised daikon radish recipe is designed for exactly this type of situation.
Not only does it take merely 15 minutes of active prep and cooking time, it only uses one pot to make a comforting dinner that is packed with protein, vitamins, and fiber.
The seasoning and cooking method is similar to mapo tofu. All you need is to infuse the oil with fresh herbs, brown the ground meat (you can use any kind you like!), throw in daikon radish and the rest of the seasoning, and let it cook for 20 minutes. The dish is done once the radish becomes tender. Use a big spoon to get a little bit of everything – tender radish, ground meat, and clear broth. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to create a flavorful dish with such a few ingredients.
After returning from my gourmet trip in China, I’m now on a low carb diet to lose a few pounds. I didn’t pair rice with this dish. But if you’d like to add some carbs to your dinner and make the meal more substantial, start steaming the rice at the same time and both dishes will be finished at the same time. You can also throw in a can of beans while braising to make a bigger meal. If you have some leftovers, the dish will taste even better the second day!
Need more comforting soup and stew to survive winter? Check out these recipes for Napa Cabbage Soup with Meatballs, Korean Stew, and Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup.
5.0 from 2 reviews Chinese Braised Daikon Radish Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 25 mins Total time 35 mins Author: Maggie Zhu Recipe type: Main Cuisine: Chinese Serves: 2 to 4 Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 450 grams (1 pound) ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, or turkey)
- 2 teaspoons Doubanjiang (Spicy Fermented Bean Paste)
- 1 Daikon radish (about 700 grams / 1 pound)
- 2 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock, or water)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- (Optional) 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon five-spice powder (the homemade version works better)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a medium-size dutch oven (or heavy duty pot) over medium heat until hot. Add a tablespoon of oil. Add green onion and ginger. Cook for a minute to release the flavor.
- Add ground meat. Cook and stir until surface turns brown.
- Add the doubanjiang. Cook and stir until the meat is evenly coated.
- Add the radish. Cook and stir to mix well.
- Add Shaoxing wine, chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, and five spice powder. Cook over medium high heat until brought to a boil. Turn to medium low heat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the radish turns tender. Add salt to taste.
- Serve with steamed rice or by itself.
3.5.3218
The nutrition facts are calculated based on 1 of the 4 servings generated by this recipe.
