You’ve probably noticed we grow a lot of different radishes on the farm. Pink shunkyo radishes, small radishes with deep red skin, watermelon radishes, and the daikon radish. Daikon radishes are sometimes huge in the csa share! This a vegetable that members ask for new recipes for, and I’m happy to report it is extremely versatile! I love it shredded or grated in soups, like this Miso Noodle Soup. Daikon Radishes even make great noodles, peeled into “fettucine” with a vegetable peeler. Here the daikon is peeled and cubed, then simmered with red lentils and curry spices. I served this over coconut brown rice for a hearty winter meal.
I like to use red lentils, which are orange and turn yellow when cooked, for stews because they cook quickly and are very soft. They turned out perfectly with the cubed daikon radish, onions, garlic, and ginger. I used hot madras curry powder which made a spicy batch, you could use mild or medium curry powder if you want a milder dish. The rice will take the longest, so get the rice started on the stove before starting the curry.
I usually have ginger on hand, because I store it in the freezer. When I need some for a recipe, I take it out, let it thaw for a few minutes(not all the way) and slice or grate what I need, then put it back in the freezer. The rice cooks in equal parts water and coconut milk to a nice creamy consistency. I prefer brown rice, but you can use white. If using brown rice you may need to add additional water and coconut milk until it’s completely cooked. Make sure it cooks all the way through.
In addition to curry powder, you’ll use turmeric and cayenne if you want more heat. When the aromatics (onion, garlic, and ginger) are done sautéing toast the spices before adding the liquid and lentils. You’ll be surprised how quickly the lentils cook up.
When both the rice and lentils are cooked through, adjust seasonings and serve with wedges of lime and chopped cilantro. Even better the next day!
Daikon Radish Curry
1 large daikon radish, peeled and chopped in a one inch dice
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon hot madras curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt + pepper to taste
lime wedges and cilantro to garnish
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté until onions are translucent. Add spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add stock, lentils, and daikon radish; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook over medium low heat uncovered, stirring occasionally until lentils and radish are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, serve over coconut rice garnished with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
Coconut Brown Rice
1 cup brown jasmine rice
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup water
1 inch ginger root, thinly sliced
Place all ingredients in a 4 quart pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to simmer. Cook over medium low-heat until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. If rice is not cooked through when liquid is absorbed, add equal parts coconut milk and water by the half cup until rice is finished.
