Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon, or đồ chua, is a must-have side that you'd find stuffed inside of banh mi or paired with Vietnamese dishes like bún thịt nướng (grilled pork vermicelli). They are super easy to make and takes only 15 minutes of active prep time!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Pickling Time1 dayd
Total Time1 dayd15 minutesmins
Yield: 216 oz jars
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Ingredients
1pounddaikon radishpeeled (about ½ of a large one)
Using a mandolin, cut the daikon radish and carrots into thin, matchstick strips (aka julienne). Be very careful! The mandolin is very sharp! You can also julienne the vegetables by hand.
In a bowl, toss together the julienned radish, carrot, and salt until evenly coated. Let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes to extract excess moisture.
While waiting, make the pickling liquid by combining the water, sugar, and vinegar in a saucepan . Heat until the sugar completely dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
The radish and carrot should be ready at this point. Rinse with fresh water and drain well. Also, gently squeeze the vegetables to get rid of excess moisture.
Divide the radish and carrots amongst two sterilized 16 ounce jars. Evenly pour the prepared pickling liquid into the jars, making sure the vegetables are fully submerged.
Leave the pickled vegetables to cool completely before capping. Let it pickle at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or until they are pickled to your taste. Then, keep them refrigerated for up to 4 to 6 weeks.
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photo references, tips, and FAQs!
Feel free to multiply the recipe is you want to make a bigger batch!
If this is your first time having do chua, note that it will be a little pungent. The smell is attributed by the daikon radish.
Ratio of daikon radish to carrots - This is really up to your preference. We prefer more daikon over carrots, but you can totally use more carrots instead. The pickling liquid is perfect for 1.5 pounds of veggies, so adjust as needed.
It's best to use filtered, boiled, or distilled water to ensure that your pickles ferment properly.