Translation doesn't always translate, and in much
of the world "carrot cake" is an unsweet gloppy white
thing that tastes more of the onions, dried shrimp, or
diced pork that it's made with than of carrots (a
mistranslation of luobo, which would be better rendered
as turnip or white radish). Janis posted a daikon cake
recipe that appears authentic and to me far more
appealing than the brown spice cake with cream-cheese
frosting (though that's not so bad either); here are two
other versions (the Gourmet magazine one uses the terms
carrot, luobo, daikon, and radish all in the same text).

Complicating matters is that the term refers both to
the wobbly white thing, usually served in a little
two-tier pyramid with a brown sauce shot on top and a
matzobrei analogue that consists of irregular chunks
of the stuff scrambled into eggs, a dish I don't
undersstand, but which the southeast Asians seem to
dote on.

Singapore "Carrot Cake"
categories: dim sum, main, Teochew, vegetarian
Yield: 6 (main course) servings

1 lb daikon (Chinese radish, luo bo)
7 Tb peanut or vegetable oil
2 ts salt
1 ts white pepper
2 c finely ground rice flour (not sweet)
2 c water
6 lg eggs
2 Tb chopped garlic
1/4 c ketjap manis or thick soy sauce
1 1/2 ts sambal oelek or Sriracha
- plus additional for serving
3 scallions, chopped (1/4 c)
1/2 c loosely packed sprigs fresh cilantro

Make and steam cake
Oil bottom and side of a 9-in round cake pan.

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

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

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 hr (replenish water as
necessary). Wearing oven mitts, transfer pan to a
cooling rack and cool 1 1/2 hr. Wrap pan tightly
with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hr.

Make stir-fry
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-in cubes.

Beat together eggs, 1/2 ts salt, and 1/4 ts pepper.

Heat dried wok over high heat until a drop of water
evaporates instantly. Pour remaining 4 Tb 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 ts salt and 1/4 ts pepper and
stir-fry, letting cake rest on bottom and sides of
wok about 10 seconds between stirs, until golden
brown, 8 to 10 min. (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 min. Stir
in ketjap manis, sambal oelek, and scallions, then
transfer to a serving dish and scatter cilantro on
top. Serve with additional sambal oelek.

Gourmet, May 2007
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