It’s the end of June and summer is settling down on us. I was rummaging through my cookbooks trying to look for something that would beat the heat. A classic side in Vietnamese cuisine is pickled carrots and daikon radish; you see them often in Bánh mì or Bún chả. They’re refreshingly tart and crunchy, perfect for the summer weather.
Pickled carrots and daikon, or Đồ chua, is super simple to make and will for a while. Similar to Korean banchan, I make this in large batches and store them in multiple jars that will last me through the whole summer. Because the veges are nice and tart, it helps to open up the palette and help digest (obviously so you can eat more). There isn’t much needed for this recipe; a simple concoction of vinegar, water, and sugar is all you need!
Đồ chua:
- 2-3 carrots
- 1 medium sized daikon radish
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1&1/2 cup of granulated sugar*
- 2&1/2 cup of white vinegar
- 2 cups of warm water
- Peel the carrots and daikon.
- Use either a slicer or hand cut them to give you thin sticks, ~0.5 cm.**
- Spread the cut vegetables on a pan and sprinkle them with salt. They will release water and becoming bendable after around 15 minutes.
- While waiting for the veges, combine the warm water and sugar in a large bowl. The sugar should dissolve.
- Add the vinegar and stir.
- After the 15 minutes, strain the veges and do a quick wash. Pat dry.
- Grab a clear jar and put the veges in the jar; it is okay to compact them in there.
- Pour the vinegar-sugar mixture over the veges until they are covered.
- Slap that cover over it and after a day of resting in room temperature, you can eat open it to eat.
- Refrigerate after opening.
*The amount of sugar you put in will offset the sourness of the veges. I personally like them super tart and sour, but my mom can’t handle it. I had to add an additional two spoons of sugar.
**You can julienne the carrots and daikon. After peeling, cut the veges into thin slices. Keep them in the same position as you cut them. Like a deck of cards, slowly push them out and cut them into lengthwise into strips. There’s lots of videos on Youtube!
This is the recipe for pickled carrots and daikon! Hope this can help beat the sweltering summer. If you happen to make this, please tell me how it goes and let me know if there are any alterations you’ve made!
Baking Traveller 