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Taiwanese radish omelette
Cài pú dàn (菜脯蛋): a thick, crisp-edged omelette studded with salty-sweet preserved radish
Ask a Taiwanese grandmother what to cook when there's nothing in the fridge and the answer is often this: a few eggs and a handful of preserved radish turned into a thick, golden omelette, cut into wedges and passed round. It's a staple of the rice-and-small-dishes spread at Taipei breakfast shops and late-night congee counters, and it reappears on the stir-fry restaurant table and in home lunchboxes. The chopped radish fries up crunchy and caramel-sweet inside soft, puffy egg, with crisp brown lacy edges. Skipping the rinse is where most go wrong: unrinsed radish makes the omelette far too salty. Chef's tip: dry-fry the radish first until it smells toasty, then use plenty of oil and a hot pan so the egg puffs and the edges frill.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 spring onionsfinely sliced
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ⅞ oz chopped preserved radish (cai pu) in a sieve, soak in cold water for 3 minutes, then squeeze very dry in your hands. Taste a piece: it should be salty but pleasant.
3 minStep 2: Put the radish in a dry 20–22 cm frying pan over a medium heat and stir for 2–3 minutes, until it is dry, fragrant and starting to brown in spots. Add ½ tsp sugar and toss for 30 seconds.
3 minStep 3: Beat 4 eggs with 2 spring onions and ¼ tsp ground white pepper in a bowl, then stir in the warm radish. Don't add salt: the radish seasons it.
Step 4: Wipe the pan, add 3 tbsp vegetable oil and heat over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Pour in the egg mixture; it should sizzle and puff at the edges straight away.
Step 5: Stir the centre gently once or twice, then leave it to cook for 2–3 minutes, until the edges are golden and lacy and the top is mostly set.
3 minStep 6: Slide the omelette onto a plate, invert the pan over it and flip it back in. Cook the second side for 1–2 minutes, until golden and firm in the middle.
2 minStep 7: Slide onto a board, cut into wedges and serve hot with rice or sweet potato congee.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does taiwanese radish omelette take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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