Braised daikon radish is quite a popular dish among Asian cuisines, from Chinese to Korean to Japanese cuisine. In Vietnamese cuisine, there is also a variation of braised daikon radish with pork belly and carrot. Let me share with you how to make it.
Table of Contents
Why braised Daikon Radish?
I have been familiar with daikon radish since I was a child. My mom and my aunt made pickled daikon and carrots, simmered daikon and pork to make broth for hu tieu noodles, and also made braised daikon radish with pork belly and carrot for an ordinary daily meal. In Vietnamese, we call it “thịt kho củ cải”. We can enjoy the dish on a normal day and also during the Tet holiday.
If we braise pork belly to make it more tender, with daikon radish, we braise it to remove the bitterness. The raw taste of daikon radish is quite bitter and not enjoyable. However, after stewing or baking, it becomes naturally sweet and can replace umami. That’s why there is braised daikon radish.
This daikon recipe is a Vietnamese-style recipe. The ingredients are somewhat similar to the Japanese and Chinese versions but include pork belly and carrots to make the dish more nutritious, flavorful, and even more vibrant. The condiments are a bit different: with Japanese braised daikon, there could be miso or mirin; with the Chinese version, oyster sauce is used. In the Vietnamese version of braised daikon radish, we love to marinate with fish sauce and caramel. It’s the signature of Vietnamese braised dishes (món kho), such as cá kho (caramelized smelt/anchovy), thịt kho trứng (caramelized pork and eggs), and thịt kho hạt dẻ (braised pork belly with chestnut).
How long does it take to make braised daikon radish with pork belly?
Although this dish isn’t hard to make at all, it might take a bit of your time to prepare the daikon radish and pork belly. You’ll have to wait at least 20 minutes for the radish to release juice and reduce the bitterness and for the pork belly to marinate. 30–40 minutes more are needed for the pork belly and daikon radish to be braised until softened. So, the actual cooking time is only 15 minutes, but do reserve 1 hour more for marinating and braising.
Ingredients
Here is the ingredient list for braised daikon radish with pork belly and carrots:
Vegetables
- 140g (5 oz) carrot
- 250g (8.8 oz) radish
- 1 stalk of green onion
- 1/2 tbsp. cooking oil
Pork
- 250g (8.8 oz) pork belly
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1/2 tbsp. sugar (to make caramelized oil)
- 1 tbsp. chili sauce (optional)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar (to marinate the pork)
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- A pinch of pepper
- 10g (0.35 oz) garlic
- 10g (0.35 oz) shallots
- 10g (0.35 oz) ginger
- 400 ml (1.7 cups) of water
Cooking Instruction
Step 1: Cooking the vegetables
- Cut daikon, radish, and carrot into bite-sized pieces. Mix them with a little salt (1.5 tsp) and let sit for at least 15 minutes to draw out a part of the water and reduce its bitterness, then remove the juice released from the daikon radish and rinse thoroughly.
- Chop the green onion finely. Stir-fry the green onion with 1 tsp cooking oil until fragrant, then add the radish and carrot. Continue to stir-fry until they get a nice color, then set aside.
Step 2: Marinating the pork (to be done in parallel with Step 1)
- Cut pork belly into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic, shallots, and ginger finely.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to a pan over medium heat. Cook until it turns brown, then turn off the heat and add chili sauce (optional, if you like your dish a little spicy). After that, add the pork, salt, fish sauce, pepper, and sugar to the pan. Mix well, and marinate for at least 20 minutes for the pork to absorb the marinade.
Step 3: Combining everything
- After marinating the pork for 20–30 minutes, we can start cooking. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil to the pan and stir-fry the chopped garlic, shallots, and ginger until fragrant. Add the pork belly pieces and sear them until the edges are browned. Next, add water and cook until the pork is tender (at least 20 minutes). Finally, add the prepared radish and carrot and continue to cook until the water evaporates to your desired consistency (about 10–15 minutes).
- Garnish the dish with a bit of chopped spring onion and serve it warm. Enjoy it with rice and other dishes such as soup, pickles, etc.
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Vietnamese Braised Daikon Radish with Pork Belly
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 140g (5 oz) carrot
- 250g (8.8 oz) daikon radish
- 1 stalk of green onion
- 1/2 tbsp. cooking oil
Pork
- 250g (8.8 oz) pork belly
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1/2 tbsp. sugar to make caramel oil
- 1 tbsp. chili sauce optional
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar to marinate the pork
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- A pinch of pepper
- 1/2 tbsp. garlic
- 1/2 tbsp. shallots
- 1/2 tbsp. ginger
- 400ml (1.7 cups ) water
Instructions
Step 1: Cooking the vegetables
- Cut daikon, radish, and carrot into bite-sized pieces. Mix them with a little salt (1.5 tsp) and let sit for at least 15 minutes to draw out a part of the water and reduce its bitterness, then remove the juice released from the daikon radish and rinse thoroughly.140g (5 oz) carrot, 250g (8.8 oz) daikon radish
- Chop the green onion finely. Stir-fry the green onion with 1 tsp cooking oil until fragrant, then add the radish and carrot. Continue to stir-fry until they get a nice color, then set aside.1 stalk of green onion, 1/2 tbsp. cooking oil
Step 2: Marinating the pork (to be done in parallel with Step 1)
- Cut pork belly into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic, shallots, and ginger finely.250g (8.8 oz) pork belly, 1/2 tbsp. garlic, 1/2 tbsp. shallots, 1/2 tbsp. ginger
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to a pan over medium heat. Cook until it turns brown, then turn off the heat and add chili sauce (optional, if you like your dish a little spicy). After that, add the pork, salt, fish sauce, pepper, and sugar to the pan. Mix well, and marinate for at least 20 minutes for the pork to absorb the marinade.2 tbsp. oil, 1/2 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. chili sauce, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. fish sauce, A pinch of pepper, 400ml (1.7 cups ) water
Step 3: Combining everything
- After marinating the pork for 20–30 minutes, we can start cooking. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil to the pan and stir-fry the chopped garlic, shallots, and ginger until fragrant. Add the pork belly pieces and sear them until the edges are browned. Next, add water and cook until the pork is tender (at least 20 minutes). Finally, add the prepared radish and carrot and continue to cook until the water evaporates to your desired consistency (about 10–15 minutes).1/2 tbsp. garlic, 1/2 tbsp. shallots, 1/2 tbsp. ginger
- Garnish the dish with a bit of chopped spring onion and serve it warm. Enjoy it with rice and other dishes such as soup, pickles, etc.1 stalk of green onion
