AI-generated photo.
Singaporean · Iconic, Singapore · Singapore
Chai tow kway
Also called 菜头粿
Chai tow kway (菜头粿), a Singapore plate from Singapore.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Chai tow kway is cooked in Singapore as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Steam a daikon rice cake, cut it, and fry it with egg and garlic until the edges char. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
74
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 10%
- Carbs 64%
- Fat 26%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 5.5 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 603 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Suits · Vegetarian
No meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Frying makes this a harder plate when you feel unwell.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Rice flour145 kcal
- Neutral oil33 kcal
- Egg18 kcal
- Daikon11 kcal
- Garlic3 kcal
- Soy sauce3 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 24.3. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 216 kcal. Two portions would be about 432 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Egg, Gluten, Soy, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 216 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 216 kcal | 11% |
| Protein | 5.5 g | 11% |
| Carbohydrate | 34.8 g | 13% |
| Fiber | 3.2 g | 11% |
| Total sugars | 2.1 g | 4% |
| Fat | 6.2 g | 8% |
| Saturated fat | 1.2 g | 6% |
| Cholesterol | 47 mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 603 mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 318 mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 39 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1.4 mg | 8% |
| Magnesium | 62 mg | 15% |
| Zinc | 1.3 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 28 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 15.5 mg | 17% |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin E | 0.7 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin K | 18 mcg | 15% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.2 mg | 17% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 9% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.8 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4 mg | 22% |
| Folate | 34 mcg | 9% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.1 mcg | 5% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- The method is a fry, so it stays out of the lightest group even when the rest of the plate is modest.
- Much of the energy comes from a fast starch such as white rice, white flour, or sugar.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Wide skillet or wok
- Scale
- Spatula
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Rice flour1 cup160 g
Daikon1 daikon250 g
Water1.2 cups280 ml
Egg1 egg50 g
Garlic3 cloves8 g
Soy sauce1 tbsp17.39 ml
Chili flakes0.5 tsp2 g
Scallion2 stalks20 g
Neutral oil1 tbsp16.48 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Chai tow kway. Heat to medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh rice flour, daikon, water, egg, garlic, soy sauce, chili flakes, scallion, neutral oil, kosher salt. Chai tow kway is cooked in Singapore as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Steam a daikon rice cake, cut it, and fry it with egg and garlic until the edges char. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Chai tow kway is cooked in singapore. Also called 菜头粿. Sauté means movement. If the food sits still the whole time, it is steaming.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Chai tow kway, until the edges take a little color. Do not crowd the pan. Brown in two batches if the pieces touch.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Chai tow kway at medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C. Start checking at 16 minutes. Chai tow kway is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C.
Sauté 16 min
- 🇸🇬 SingaporeSoutheast Asiaicon-singapore-chai-tow-kway-step-4
Chai tow kway, step 5
Step 5 · Chai tow kway
5Check the center of Chai tow kway, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇸🇬 SingaporeSoutheast Asiaicon-singapore-chai-tow-kway-step-5
Chai tow kway, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Chai tow kway for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in singapore, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Chai tow kway in this shot order and no other: a skewer pulled from the center; a blender lid held down for the puree; liquid going in and lifting the fond; the oven dial and a hot rack. Slate words for the editor: ladle, lacquer, ivory, ember, yarrow, skillet, simmer, quiet, linen, fork.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Chai tow kway is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C.
If it goes wrong
- Chai tow kway looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Chai tow kway turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Chai tow kway, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Chai tow kway is one of the plates people ask for by name from Singapore.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Steam a daikon rice cake, cut it, and fry it with egg and garlic until the edges char.
Allergens in the required list: Egg, Gluten, Soy, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.