Indulge in the delightful harmony of chicken and flavor-soaked daikon radish with Tori Daikon. The tender daikon, seasoned with Japanese-style teriyaki sauce, melts in your mouth.
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What is Tori Daikon?
Tori Daikon is a Japanese simmered dish that combines chicken and daikon radish, seasoned with Japanese teriyaki sauce, mainly made of mirin and soy sauce. "Tori" means chicken, and "Daikon" refers to daikon radish. By simmering the chicken together with daikon, the chicken flavor infuses into the daikon, creating a delightful dish.
Since most of the process involves simmering, it is easy to prepare. The daikon becomes tender and absorbs the flavors as it simmers slowly. I hope you enjoy this traditional Japanese flavoring.
The sauce used
The sauce used for this dish is Japanese teriyaki sauce made from sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce. It is primarily used in Japan for cooking meat or fish dishes, and the dish prepared with this glaze is called 'teriyaki' because the surface of the dish looks shiny (teri) when cooked (yaki) with it.
While there is also teriyaki sauce in the U.S., it differs in both ingredients and taste from the Japanese version. The U.S. teriyaki sauce is a Western-style sauce originally manufactured by Kikkoman, a Japanese soy sauce company. For an authentic experience, try Japanese teriyaki sauce for your Japanese dishes.
Simple guide to otoshi-buta (drop lid)
When making Japanese simmered dishes, it is common to use an otoshi-buta (drop lid). An otoshi-buta is a lid that is placed directly on top of the ingredients in the pot. By having the lid in direct contact with the ingredients, the cooking liquid beneath it circulates over the ingredients, allowing for efficient simmering with less water.
An otoshi-buta is available commercially, but you can easily make one, similar to the one shown in the photo above, by simply poking a hole (or several holes) in aluminum foil. The reason for making a hole or holes is to prevent the otoshi-buta from floating up due to the steam. I encourage you to give it a try!
Other Japanese simmered dishes using daikon
Daikon radish is a type of vegetable that easily absorbs flavors, making it a staple in Japanese simmered dishes. After trying this dish, I encourage you to explore other simmered dishes using daikon, such as "Butabara Daikon" (simmered pork belly and daikon) or "Buri Daikon" (simmered yellowtail and daikon). Let's embark on a culinary adventure.
Equipment
- otoshi-buta (drop lid) (You can easily make it by referring to the instructions above. If you find it tedious, you can also use a regular lid.)
Ingredients
- 10.6 oz. (300g) daikon radish
- 7 oz. (200g) boneless chicken thighs
- 0.17 oz. (5g) ginger
Seasonings:
- ⅚ cup (200ml) bonito dashi (awase dashi) (For information on how to make bonito dashi and awase dashi, please refer to the linked article. While the flavor may diminish, you can substitute it with water.)
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce
Step-by-step instructions
🕒 Total 35 mins
Step 1
Peel and cut the daikon into 0.8 inch (2cm) thick rounds, then further divide each round into bite-sized pieces, either into sixths or eighths. Cut the chicken thighs into 0.8 inch (2 cm) cubes. Peel and grate the ginger.
Step 2
Heat oil in a pan. Add the chicken thighs and sauté them over medium heat until both sides change color.
Step 3
Add the daikon, grated ginger, and some of the seasonings (dashi, sake, mirin, and sugar) to the pan. Once the seasoned liquid comes to a boil, cover it with an otoshi-buta and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the otoshi-buta, add soy sauce to the pan, and continue simmering over medium heat until most of the liquid is reduced, for about 10 minutes.
To Store
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Card
Tori Daikon (Simmered Chicken And Daikon Radish)
Equipment
- otoshi-buta (drop-lid) (You can easily make it by referring to the instructions above. If you find it tedious, you can also use a regular lid.)
Ingredients
- 10.6 oz. (300g) daikon radish
- 7 oz. (200g) boneless chicken thighs
- 0.17 oz. (5g) ginger
Seasonings:
- ⅚ cup (200ml) bonito dashi (awase dashi) (For information on how to make bonito dashi and awase dashi, please refer to the linked article. While the flavor may diminish, you can substitute it with water.)
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Peel and cut the daikon into 0.8 inch (2cm) thick rounds, then further divide each round into bite-sized pieces, either into sixths or eighths. Cut the chicken thighs into 0.8 inch (2 cm) cubes. Peel and grate the ginger.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the chicken thighs and sauté them over medium heat until both sides change color.
- Add the daikon, grated ginger, and some of the seasonings (dashi, sake, mirin, and sugar) to the pan. Once the seasoned liquid comes to a boil, cover it with an otoshi-buta and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the otoshi-buta, add soy sauce to the pan, and continue simmering over medium heat until most of the liquid is reduced, for about 10 minutes.
Notes
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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