My Cooking Journal 17 - Homemade Radish Soup

Bakuteh (肉骨茶)  is a well known local chinese soup easily found in Singapore. It is a pork ribs soup that is in a clear and peppery style or darker soup with herbs and spices flavour depending on individual preferences. 

My homemade radish soup is a simpler modification of Buketeh soup. Instead of using one pack of Bakuteh satchet, I used half a pack and cook it with ingredients that comprises of Dry Scallops, Pork Ribs and White Radish. This homemade radish soup is a real family favourites of our and I used to cook it quite often.

Radish is added because it can enhance sweetness to the soup and incorporate with a sense of lightly spicy and peppery flavour. Radish is a low calories root vegetable that is rich in Vitamin C and B-6, anti-oxidants, folates, riboflavin, thiamin, dietary fiber and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and calcium. This root vegetable is a very good detoxifier and disinfectant that helps to prevent cancer, maintain good blood pressure, maintain good skin, prevent constipation and protect our liver and gall bladder from infections. And with it anti-congestive properties, it is capable in relieving respiratory congestion caused by cold, infection and allegies.

Buy and Selection:

Bakuteh's sachet and radish can be purchased at any local supermarket, grocery stores and wet market. There are many different brands of Bakuteh sachet available for selection. As for the radish, remember to choose roots that are firm and fresh in texture. Avoid choosing root that is yellowish as it indicates that the stock is old.

Just simply wrap the white radish with newspaper (to absorb moisture) and store in a plastic bag and in the refrigerator. It is sufficient to maintain its freshness for up to a week.

Since I am just using half a pack of the Bakuteh, I would usually store the other half in the refrigerator for up to a month. Below is a sample of different brands of Bakuteh Satchet. (My own preference brand would be no. 1 & 2).

Different Brands of Instant Bakuteh Satchet

 Ingredients: 

1. 4-5 pieces Pork Ribs
2. 4 medium size Dry Scallop
3. 1 medium size White Radish - de-skin, washed and sliced
4. Half pack Bakuteh satchet
5. 1.6 litre Water (Half a pot of size: 3.2 litre slow cooker)
6. Sea salt to taste

Methods:

1. Roughly distribute the spices in the Bakuteh satchet into half. Ensure that the spices are pushed to both side end of the satchet. Then use a string (we used for sewing) to tie and tighten the satchet to prevent them from leaking out when boiling in the soup pot. Tied it somewhere near the centre part (tied two sections). Then, use a scissor to cut in between the tied sections. Set a side one pack for cooking and the other half keep it in the refrigerator for future use. 
2.  Boil a pot of water. Once boiled, blanch pork ribs in the boiling water, remove and set aside. 
3.  Boil a pot of water and pour into the slow cooker soup pot. Put in dry scallops, Bakuteh sachet,  sliced white radish and blanched pork ribs into the soup pot. Turn to high heat and let it cook till boil. Then simmer to low heat for 2 hours. Season with sea salt to taste.

Method 1