Radish Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 small white radish, peeled and grated
• 1 medium white radish, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
• ¾ cup rice flour
• ½ cup refined flour (maida)
• ¼ cup wheat starch or cornflour
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
• 3-4 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil + for deep frying
  To serve
• Fried chopped garlic
• Spring onion greens, diagonally sliced
• Fresh red chillies, diagonally sliced
• Soy-ginger dip to serve

Method

1. Boil sufficient water in a deep non-stick pan, add white radish strips and boil for 4 minutes. Drain them and transfer into a bowl of ice cold water.
2. Add carrot strips to the same pan and boil for 4 minutes. Drain them and transfer into another bowl of ice cold water.
3. To make batter, take rice flour, refined flour, and wheat starch in a large bowl.
4. Add grated radish, salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper powder and 3 cups water and mix till well combined.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a non-stick pan. Add mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Drain white radish strips and carrot strips and add to the pan and sauté well. Switch off the heat, add the batter and stir immediately to avoid any lump formation.  
6. Transfer the mixture into a 6” x 4” square silicon cake mould and level out the top.
7. Heat sufficient water in a steamer. 
8. Place the cake mould in the steamer and steam for 1 hour 5 minutes. Switch the heat off and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
9. Remove the cake mould from the steamer and allow to cool down to room temperature. Place it in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or till completely chilled.
10. De-mould the cake and cut into 1 inch thick squares. These are the radish cakes. 
11. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Gently slide in the squares, a few at a time, and deep-fry till golden brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper.
12. Arrange the radish cakes on a serving plate and garnish with fried garlic, spring onion greens and fresh red chillies. Serve hot with soy-ginger dip.