You Dunzi (油墩子)

You Dunzi (油墩子) are deep-fried crispy cakes of shredded daikon radish, cilantro and scallions. 

These fried radish cakes are an everyday breakfast or snack from the streets of Shanghai. Having grown up in and around that city, I’ve known them for as long as I can remember. 

That said, you dunzi have several different names. Hong Kong and its neighboring cities have something similar that they call 炸油糍 (zhà yóu cí in Mandarin or zaa yau ci in Cantonese). 

In many parts of China, it’s also known as 炸萝卜丝饼, zhà luóbo sī bǐng, for fried shredded radish cake. 

How does it taste? 

Unless you’ve traveled in Shanghai, you’re probably not super familiar with this treat. It was new even to Bill, Sarah, and Kaitlin. 

It’s biggest value is in the crisp of the exterior crust from the shreds of golden daikon and the rice flour. But inside, there’s a softer, gooey center that tastes a lot like a Cantonese radish cake (AKA turnip cake, or lo bak go). 

How To Make You Dunzi Successfully 

Here’s a quick outline of how to successfully make your first batch of you dunzi: 

• You’ll need a couple special tools. Specifically, a metal serving ladle or an individual tart tin held up by tongs. The batter is spooned into the vessel and fried inside, so it keeps its shape. 
• There are two components: the rice flour batter and the shredded radish filling. Rather than mixing them together, you’ll layer them in the ladle.
• Add Hakka or Cantonese extras. Into this basic recipe you can add optional ingredients, like marinated ground meat, soaked dried shrimp, and/or dried scallops. 
• Use very fresh daikon. If you’re using anything but a decently fresh daikon, it will be bitter. Look for daikon that is plump (heavy relative to peers of the same size), with shiny skin, and a nice green color at the top, around the stems.  
• Skip the condiments. It’s not typical to enjoy these You Dun Zi with dipping sauce. Just make sure you have spare napkins! 

An Indulgent, Crispy & Savory Treat 

Maybe this is one of those recipes that you just gawk at to know it exists. But if you find yourself in China and come across a mom and pop frying them out of a hole-in-the-wall stall, it’s a must-try.

They’re definitely a treat to be eaten on occasion, as they are deep-fried! I often have to twist my own arm to convince myself to indulge.

Regardless of what you do, simply knowing what they are and their origins is pretty cool if you ask me.  

You Dunzi Recipe Instructions

Start by making the rice flour batter. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, sea salt, sugar, white pepper, and five spice powder.

Gradually add in the water, whisking constantly until the mixture is well incorporated into a thin batter.

Cover with an overturned plate, and let the batter rest while you prepare the other ingredients. 

To make the daikon radish filling, shred the daikon using a food processor with a grating attachment, or a box grater.

Squeeze the daikon with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. 

Wash the cilantro and scallions, and pat them thoroughly dry with a kitchen towel. Coarsely chop the cilantro, and finely chop the scallions. Mix into the daikon until evenly incorporated.

Now both the batter and the filling are ready for frying. Don’t mix them together. 

In a medium deep pot, heat 3 inches of oil to 350°F. During the preheating process, keep your ladle or the metal tins you’re planning to use in the oil. This preheats them and prevents the you dunzi from sticking while frying.  

When the oil comes up to temperature, empty your ladle of oil (or carefully lift the tins out of the oil using tongs). 

Immediately fill the ladle or tin with enough batter to cover the bottom in a thin layer.

Add the daikon radish filling up to the top rim, ensuring the edges are tidy.

Then drizzle another light layer of batter evenly over the top (don’t overload with batter). 

Carefully lower the ladle/tin into the hot oil.

Fry for 2 minutes to set the you dunzi. It should come out of the ladle easily.

Flip it and fry for an additional 3-4 minutes, until golden brown all over. As it cooks, you can assemble the next one. 

Transfer the cooked you dunzi to a wire cooling rack. Repeat until you’ve used all the batter and filling. You might have a little leftover, but this is to ensure that you get at least 8 full-sized radish cakes. 

Serve immediately—just be careful, as they are very hot inside! These are best fresh, but can be reheated in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through and crispy.

You Dunzi (油墩子) are fried cakes of shredded daikon radish, cilantro and scallions, an everyday breakfast/snack from the streets of Shanghai.