Chinese Daikon, Carrot, and Tomato Beef Stew Recipe

Classic Chinese beef stew
Liv Wan
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 5 to 6 servings

It’s difficult for working moms to find time took a whole table’s worth of food during busy days. So when it comes to “what’s for dinner” one of our favorite dishes to cook is this Chinese daikon, carrot, and tomato beef stew (紅白蘿蔔蕃茄燉牛肉).

You can prepare this dish and store it in the freezer, so, whenever you’re hungry, just defrost and reheat it. You can serve this dish with either rice or noodles, and both ways are delicious but different. This dish is a lifesaver for the working mother: reheat it, cook some rice in a rice cooker for 30 minutes, and the dish has all the nutrition your family/friends need. You don’t need to worry if there are enough vegetables or proteins in your food.

We've always been a big fan of stew, and this beef stew is one of our favorites. The traditional way of making this in Taipei is to add some dried orange peel because, apparently, the dried orange peel will make any kind of meat soup or stew taste better. You can also put dried orange peel in slow-cooked pork dishes. It really does make the pork taste better.

Unfortunately, it can be tricky to get hold of dried orange peel (Chenpi, 陳皮), so this recipe doesn’t contain any. The stew tastes amazing with or without.

If you don’t like daikon, you can leave it out or replace it with potato. The flavor will become quite different compared to using daikon, but again, either way, is really delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/5 pounds (1 kilogram) beef flank, or shin and any beef cuts suitable for a slow cooking, cut into big dice

  • 2 tablespoons oil

  • 1 pound (480 grams) fresh tomatoes on the vine, roughly chopped

  • 1 medium (120 grams) onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 thin slice ginger

  • 1 large (200 grams) carrot, peeled and sliced 3/4-inch (2-centimeters) thick

  • 1 1/4 pounds (600 grams) daikon radish, peeled, sliced 3/4-inch (2-centimeters) thick and cut into quarters

  • 3 cups (700 milliliters) water

For the Seasonings: 

  • 3/4 cup (200 milliliters) light soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

  • 1/3 cup (70 milliliters) rice wine

  • 2 whole star anise

  • 1/4 stick cinnamon

  • Dried orange peel , for extra flavor, optional

Steps to Make It

Procedures: 

  1. Boil a big pot of water and add the beef. Boil for 5 minutes to clean any dirt off the beef. After 5 minutes, use cold water to wash away any dirt on the surface of the meat and drain the water. Leave the beef aside for later.

  2. Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the ginger and onion until the fragrance comes out. Add the beef and stir-fry for another 3to 5 minutes.

  3. Pour the rice wine in and cook for 30 seconds. Add light and dark soy sauce and bring it to boil.

  4. After step 3 has boiled, add tomato, water, star anise, cinnamon stick and orange peel (optional).

  5. Bring it to boil again and use medium-low heat to simmer for 1.5 hours. Check and stir it often. If you think the water is a bit low in the pot you can add a little bit hot water to adjust it.

  6. The beef should be nearly soft after 1.5-hours of cooking and then add the carrots and daikon. Cook until the carrots and daikon are soft and this dish is nearly ready. Check the seasonings to suit your taste before serving. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
448 Calories
19g Fat
14g Carbs
51g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 448
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 132mg 44%
Sodium 2638mg 115%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 51g
Vitamin C 28mg 139%
Calcium 90mg 7%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 1306mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)