Fried Daikon

Are you looking for a tasty side dish with Japanese daikon radish? This fried daikon is crispy outside with a soft juicy inside that you can't resist!

This fried daikon is an easy and simple side dish you can make in no time!

This dish can be a healthier alternative to standard french fries! The texture is different, but the taste is as good!

If you are wondering how to cook daikon radish, try this recipe and enjoy the flavor and crispy texture!

This recipe is for you if:
• You love Japanese daikon radish.
• You want to know how to cook daikon radish.
• You are looking for a fried daikon recipe.

Let me walk you through the ingredients and the instructions. If you want to check the recipe, jump to the recipe. Let's get started!

Jump to:

• About this Recipe
• What is Japanese Daikon Radish?
• What Does A Japanese Daikon Radish Taste Like?
• 📋 Ingredients
• 🔪Instructions
• Storage
• Helpful Tips
• Variations
• What to Serve With
• Thanks For Stopping By!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

About this Recipe

• Japanese daikon recipe
• Pan fried daikon
• Only five ingredients
• Crunchy and tasty!
• Easy appetizers

What is Japanese Daikon Radish?

Daikon, also known as white radish, winter radish, and Japanese radish, is a common root vegetable in Japan.

Daikon means "big root" in Japanese, long, thick, and heavy. They can weigh anywhere from 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lbs).

We can find wide varieties of daikon in Japan, but this Aokubi daikon, the green color on the top, is the most common.

It has an earthy flavor and many versatile uses that can be eaten raw (including the skin), stir-fried, or added to a soup. You can also eat the leaves (actually, leaves contain more nutrients than white roots!).

The most popular dish is a simmered daikon.

It's available all year round at a grocery store, but the season is summer and winter. The Summer daikon tends to be more peppery in taste, whereas winter daikon tends to have a sweeter flavor and juicier texture.

What Does A Japanese Daikon Radish Taste Like?

Do you know that daikon has different tastes depending on which part you use?

It has a unique flavor profile, with a sweet spot near its leaves and turning peppery towards the bottom.

• Top (near the leaves): It's sweet, juicy, crunchy, and perfect for eating raw.
• Middle: It's sweet, slightly peppery, soft, and perfect for simmering or braising.
• Bottom: Peppery and perfect for condiment and garnishing.

If you are curious, you can find the difference by eating raw on each part.

The texture and taste are different, so using the part according to your cooking dish makes them tastier. The sweet and juicy top part works perfectly for eating raw, while the peppery bottom is excellent for spices or sauces.

I use the top root in this fried daikon recipe, but you can use any part.

📋 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

• Daikon
• Soy Sauce
• Garlic
• Potato Starch
• Oil for Pan Frying

Substitutions

• Potato Starch - You can substitute it with cornstarch or rice flour.

🔪Instructions

Let me walk you through how to make the fried daikon. You can also watch this recipe video.

1. Slice thin rounds (leave the skin on).
2. Stack the round slices and cut them into thin sticks.
3. Cut like these daikon sticks.
4. Grate a clove of garlic.
5. Put daikon sticks, grated garlic, and soy sauce in a plastic bag.
6. Combine to distribute the sauce and let it sit for 10 minutes.
7. Spread potato starch on a large plate and add the daikon.
8. Coat them with potato starch.
9. Add oil to a frying pan (enough to cover the surface), and pan fry daikon on both sides until brown at medium heat.
10. Leave them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce!

It's best to eat them right away! They get soft and soggy as time passes, so please serve them immediately and enjoy the crispy texture.

Storage

If you want to serve them later, keep the marinated daikon in the fridge and pan-fry them right before the meal.

Helpful Tips

• Do not overcook daikon, or they will become soggy and lose their crunchy texture (Because the daikon's moisture comes out).
• You can use leftover soy sauce for marinating or stir-frying other vegetables. (I stir fry eggplants with the sauce, which was good!)

Variations

This fried daikon is easy to customize, and create your version! Try adding these ingredients to the marinade for extra flavors!

• Chili Pepper Flakes
• Curry Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Taco Seasoning

What to Serve With

• Tofu and Seaweed Salad
• Daikon Miso Soup
• Vegetable Yakisoba

Thanks For Stopping By!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you have tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

More Daikon Recipes You Might Like

• Daikon Salad
• Daikon Nimono With Atsuage (Simmered dish)
• Daikon Miso Soup
• Daikon Skin Stir Fry with Shio kombu
• Pickled Daikon

📖 Recipe