What To Do with Daikon Radish

Have you ever had daikon radish? You may have had them raw or with your salad. It may have gone unnoticed as you enjoyed eating your salad. Various recipes include radishes in the boiled or steamed form or raw form. If you have no idea about radishes or have never had them before, then do not worry as this is your chance to learn all about them.

The Origin Of Daikon Radish

Daikon radish can also be called the Japanese radish, and this may directly give you a rough idea about where they may originate from. It was reported that about 1300 years ago, radish was discovered in Japan in different varieties.

They are also sometimes known as oriental radish or winter radish. One of the forms of radish is the Raphanus sativus variant having a white long napiform root.

Other radish varieties include the Korean radish, i.e., mu, and heirloom watermelon radish.

A Healthy Addition to Your Diet

One of the most important aspects of daikon radish is health and nutrition. In general, we consider vegetables healthy and have majorly been recommended by doctors or nutritionists to include them in our diets. You may recall your parents asking you to eat or finish your vegetables running behind you or giving you that stern look.

If you are a parent yourself, you might find yourself doing the same thing for your children. It is true that vegetables are an important part of our daily diet and bring many health benefits. Similarly, radishes have health benefits of their own.

Rich in Calcium

Daikon radish is rich in calcium, and calcium is necessary for your overall muscles growth and movement and for your nerves to transmit messages through the body. You may find your dentist recommending you toothpaste with calcium for your teeth. Even your heart requires calcium for proper working. Thus, adding radish to your diet also helps your body get an additional source of calcium.

Potassium

Another nutrient that radishes contain is potassium. As calcium is important for strengthening your muscles, potassium is needed for muscle contractions as well as for nerve signals. You may know someone who suffers from high blood pressure or may know someone who has had kidney stones. Potassium helps one reduce their blood pressure and prevent kidney stones in your body. It is an important macro mineral required by your body.

Magnesium

Furthermore, radish also contains magnesium. Similar to how potassium helps reduce blood pressure, magnesium helps one maintain or regulate blood pressure. If your body suffers from significantly low levels of magnesium, then you may find yourself at the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure, or diabetes (type 2). It also is a good source of copper. You can also get your supply of vitamin C through radish.

Radish has carbohydrates, fiber, proteins, calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, and vitamin C.

Multiple Ways To Use It In Your Recipes

Now that you are aware of the nutrition daikon radish contains and a general overview of its potential origins, the question is how you can use it. There are different ways you can use radish in your dishes, whether in raw, steamed, boiled, baked, or roasted form.

Underneath are a few ways you can use your radishes in your dishes. Most of these recipes require you to wash the radishes before using and cut off their roots, and some may require you to peel them beforehand.

Steam Or Boil It

One of the ways you can go about using radishes is by steaming them. One of the simplest recipes you will find on the internet is steamed radishes.  Websites like Allrecipes provide more specific instructions and details regarding the recipes. You can also boil radishes and have them as a meal.

Equipment

• Peeler
• Microwave safe container

Ingredients

• 20 radishes
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ cup butter

Instructions

1. Make sure to first thoroughly wash the white radish as well as peel them.
2. For about eight minutes, steam the cut and peeled radishes in a microwave-safe container. Instead of doing it specifically for eight minutes, you may steam it until you find them fork tender.
3. Finally, drain the radishes and mix them with butter or toss them with it. Serve it while it is warm.

 

This is also another quick and simple recipe while also getting your nutrition with boiled radishes.

Equipment

• Knife
• Pot

Ingredients

• 1 slice ginger
• 1 cup water or stock (235ml)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (16 g) (optional)
• ½ teaspoon salt (2 g)
• ¼ teaspoon sugar (1 g)
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (a large pinch)
• Daikon radish
• Chopped scallion (optional)
• A few drops of sesame oil (optional)

Instructions

1. Take your washed radishes and cut them into cubes.
2. Take a suitable pot and add your main seasoning into it including ginger, salt, optional oyster sauce, sugar, water, and white pepper. Add in your cut radishes too
3. You can switch oyster sauce with a sauce of your choice. Similarly, you can adjust the quantity of some of these seasonings as per your preference and make further additions to ingredients.
4. Boil all of it in a covered point and cook it for about 15-20 minutes on medium flame. Make sure to stir now and then.
5. Once you find the radishes tender, that is your cue to turn off the heat and add it to your plate and serve with chopped scallion on top and a  few drops of sesame oil.

You Can Bake It Too

Baked radishes may seem like a new idea, but it has been used for a while.

Equipment

• Peeler
• Knife
• Bowl
• Baking sheet
• Oven

Ingredients

• 2 lb Radishes (trimmed and halved)
• 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil

Instructions

1. Wash your radishes thoroughly, peel them, and cut them into your preferred shape but keep in mind they will be placed on a baking sheet later.
2. In a bowl, add all of your ingredients and mix them well with your cut radishes. Toss and mix them well so the radishes are fairly covered with the seasoning. You can adjust the seasoning according to your preference by adding more or less of any ingredient or adding any additional ingredient.
3. Make sure to mix the radishes with this seasoning before putting them on your baking sheet. You may also want to put a single layer of them for that extra brown touch.
4. Adjust your oven to bake it for about 35 to 40 minutes, and remember to turn over the radishes midway.
5. In the end, you may put some salt on it when serving and go for the salt bae style of putting on salt.

Use It Raw

You can eat raw radishes or cut them into pieces and toss them with your salad, such as in the summer radish salad or a simple radish salad. You can slice radishes and add them to your sandwiches or dip raw radishes in humus. You may also use radish for garnishing over other dishes.

These are all you need to know about the origins and nutrition of daikon radishes and their health benefits. Furthermore, you have various options for what you can do with the available radishes in your home.