Cubes of steamed radish cake (not carrots) stir-fried with egg until parts turn crispy, sold in two famous styles, white (savoury) and black (glazed with sweet black soy sauce). One of the most beloved Singapore hawker stir-fries.
Chye tow kway, Singapore fried carrot cake (which is actually radish cake), is one of the most beloved hawker stir-fries. It is rooted in Hokkien and Teochew radish cake, but the Singapore hawker stir-fry with its white (savoury, no dark soy) and black (glazed with sweet black soy) styles, plus the yuan-yang (both on one plate), is a distinctly local invention. Nearly every hawker centre has a dedicated carrot cake stall. The radish cake is steamed first, then cubed and fried with egg and preserved radish until parts are crisp.
Crisp-edged, soft-centred radish-cake cubes bound in egg, the black version sweet-savoury with a molasses edge, the white version garlicky and pure. Eaten with chilli, it is savoury, crispy and the definitive Singapore hawker breakfast.
The radish cake is made by steaming a batter of rice flour and shredded white radish (daikon), then cooling it until firm enough to cube. The cubes are fried in a wok with garlic, preserved radish and egg, pressed so some parts crisp against the hot metal while others stay soft. The black version adds sweet dark soy (which gives the molasses edge); the white stays savoury. The press-and-fry technique, building both crisp and soft in the same pan, is the skill.
Variations
A crispy version fries it longer. The yuan-yang serves both white and black on one plate.
On the Palate
Where Chye Tow Kway sits in the Singaporean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
6 steps · 30 min
- 18 min
Mix 200g rice flour with 400ml water; stir in 500g grated white radish (squeezed), 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.
- 212 min
Pour into an oiled tray; steam 45 minutes until set; cool completely, then cut into 2cm cubes.
Watch outSteam the radish cake until fully set, then cool it completely before cubing — warm cake crumbles instead of holding its shape.
- 33 min
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok; fry 4 cloves minced garlic 30 seconds.
- 46 min
Add the radish cubes and 50g chopped preserved radish; stir-fry, pressing, 6 minutes until parts are crisp.
Watch outPress the cubes against the hot wok and leave them to crisp — that seared crust is the whole point; toss too soon and it stays soft.
- 56 min
Add 3 beaten eggs; toss until set (white version) or add 2 tbsp sweet dark soy first (black version).
- 63 min
Top with chopped spring onion and chilli; serve hot.
Archive tool suggestions — not reviewed
These legacy suggestions have not been evidence-reviewed and are not presented as required tools.
