I was perusing the grocery store this morning. Not my local grocery store, but my favorite out of the way grocery store with the best unusual produce. Now, daikon isn't the most out there of ingredients! But I do live in rural Wisconsin and my local Pick n' Save or Piggly Wiggly certainly don't cater to. My local farmer's market also is only open when I'm at work and predominantly just sells ornamental hanging plants. Which might sound unusual because Wisconsin is known for dairy farms and breweries. But these kinds of things cater more to cheese curds and Miller High Life over Packer's games than fresh produce by the roadside. Also corn for animal feed. When it isn't dumping snow. Although our proximity to Chicago does mean that you can get some fun culinary produce. And today I brought home daikon! And am making daikon quinoa.
Daikon is much like an enormous radish or carrot. It has a milder flavor and does well cut up and fried into French fries. I ordinarily make sweet potato quinoa. Every now and then I throw a potato in, instead. But they have such a mild flavor that it doesn't really add much to quinoa. Which has a kind of bitter flavor that does well being balanced out with something sweet.
I also got an Ambercup Squash and am imagining roasting that up and probably making some kind of sweet and savory combo with the two. But that is for another day!
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Variations of Daikon Quinoa
Oftentimes I make quinoa with sweet potatoes or regular old fashioned potatoes. Today I branched out! But there are plenty of other ways that I make quinoa, from tomatoes and ginger to tofu and sprouts or tahini and tamari.
This daikon quinoa combines red onions, ginger, garlic, limes, tahini, tamari, rice vinegar, olive oil, walnuts, tofu, salt, and pepper. It's one of my favorite basic meals to make and keep throughout the rest of the week to mix and match into other dishes. It's a great way to keep things fresh and interesting with what you already have on hand. Especially when you mix in fun and new ingredients.
Add all of the ingredients, except for the tofu and walnuts, into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger vegetables and then add the smaller ingredients. Top with the spices and citrus juice. And then add the quinoa and water.This cooks the larger vegetables on the bottom, while dispersing the flavor profiles in the middle. Although with some mixing, this really doesn't matter all that much. Everything will eventually cook together!
Press the cook button on the rice cooker. While quinoa is not rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. It typically takes 30-45 minutes.
Fry Tofu
While the quinoa is cooking, drain the water out of the tofu and cut into cubes.
Wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying at high temperatures, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
Meanwhile, preheat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
When the skillet has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, carefully add the tofu to the skillet. Fry until golden brown. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Rotate until all sides are evenly fried.
Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Finish Quinoa
When the quinoa is fully cooked, add tofu and walnuts.
Fluff with a wooden spoon and serve, either immediately or make ahead of time and refrigerate.Do not use a fork or other metal utensil to fluff! It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
While quinoa is not rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. For more tips and tricks to rice cooker quinoa, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Quinoa, including a stovetop version if you don't have or don't want to use a rice cooker.
I also tend to prefer tamari over soy sauce. They're both made from fermented soy and a lot of recipes use them interchangeably. Tamari tends to have a richer flavor and less salt content. It also tends to be gluten free.
For a more in-depth article on preparing tofu, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Fried Tofu. Tofu is a surprisingly simple ingredient to work with that is very often overcomplicated. There are some easy pitfalls to avoid for perfectly soft tofu with a nice, crispy fried edge. Using a minimal amount of oil and avoiding the hard, dried out consistency of over-baking or deep frying!
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