Stewed Pork with Radish and Carrot

Stewed dishes are always my favorites but it could be time-consuming for those who are with tight schedule every day.  You may choose a pressure cooker to cut down the cooking time but for me, I still enjoy the traditional way.

This is my first time using radish to make a dish.  Normally, radish will only in my mind when I wish to make some comforting soup.  It could be radish originally has a mild bitter taste that had caused me has no confidence to try.  Not until I have thought of this recipe and am very satisfied with the result.  I used pork shoulder to blend with the radish and also carrot to enhance the colorful of this dish and not forgotten my favorite fried tofu or tofu puff which is optional if you do not like it.  

I love all the four main ingredients in this dish especially the tenderness of the pork meat that caramelized with the soy sauce and other seasoning ingredients. It goes perfect with plain noodles or white rice.  


INGREDIENTS
500g pork shoulder meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium radish, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pack of soft fried tofu, halve
3 slices of ginger
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 shallots, finely chopped
3 star anise
3 cups of hot water or chicken/beef broth
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
2 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine
1 lump of rock sugar (can substitute with regular 1 tbsp sugar)
Some scallions for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat-up cooking oil in a pot, add in ginger, garlic, shallots and star anise.  Saute until aromatic.

Add in pork cubes.

Stir well until almost cook (about 5 minutes).

Add in cooking wine and continue to cook for few minutes.

Add in hot water or broth.

Add in the combination of dark soy sauce and soy sauce

Add in rock sugar

Add in radish cubes

Add in carrot cubes

Add in halved fried soft tofu

Cover the pot and bring it to boil and lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until all ingredients are tender.

Season with more soy sauce to your desired taste.  Dish out and garnish with some scallions.

Stewed Pork with Radish and Carrot is ready to serve now.