Simmered Daikon with Chicken Soboro
Simmered Daikon with Chicken Soboro is a comforting Japanese home-style dish made with tender daikon radish and finely crumbled ground chicken gently simmered in a sweet-savory broth. Simple ingredients and easy steps come together to create a light yet satisfying dish that’s especially perfect for colder months and tastes even better after resting.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- ⅔ Daikon radish / about 700-800 g or 1.65-1.75 lb
- ½ lb Ground chicken
- 2 tablespoon Sake
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 2 ½ tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Powder Dashi (optional)
- 3 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 2 ½ cups Water
- ½ inch Ginger / sliced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
For Thickening
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp Water
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables.Peel the daikon and cut it into 1-inch quarter-rounds pieces. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly, about 1 mm thick.
- Cook the ginger and chicken.Heat a pot over medium-low heat and add a small drizzle of sesame oil. Add the sliced ginger and sauté until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium, add the ground chicken, and cook while breaking it up well with a spatula until no longer pink.
- Add daikon and water.Pour in the water, then add the cut daikon. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Season and simmer.Once boiling, add the sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and dashi. Reduce heat to medium, place an otoshibuta (drop lid* please see FAQ below) on top, and simmer for 20–25 minutes.Otoshibuta is a lid that sits directly on the ingredients, helping the daikon cook evenly and absorb flavor.
- Thicken the sauce and finishIn a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water well. Before the starch settles, slowly drizzle the mixture into the pot while gently stirring with a spatula. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens evenly without breaking the daikon, then simmer for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce is lightly thickened. Turn off the heat and serve warm.