Vietnamese Pickled Veggies (Đồ Chua)

Ingredients

• 1 lb daikon radish (peeled and cut into matchstick pieces)
• 1 lb carrots (peeled and cut into matchstick pieces)
• kosher salt (for drawing out moisture)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (part of the 1:1:1 ratio brine)
• 1 cup white vinegar (distilled white vinegar)
• 1 cup water

Steps

1. 1

   Wash your hands thoroughly. Peel the daikon and carrots.

2. 2

   Cut the peeled daikon and carrots into matchstick pieces (julienne). Alternatively, you can grate them or cut them to your preferred shape and size.

3. 3

   Place the vegetables in a bowl and heavily salt them with kosher salt. Toss to coat and let them sit for about 15 minutes to draw out moisture.

4. 4

   Once the vegetables are pliable and bendy, drain them and rinse thoroughly with cold water to remove the excess salt.

5. 5

   In a small saucepan, combine equal parts sugar, white vinegar, and water. Heat the mixture gently, just until the sugar has completely dissolved.

6. 6

   Remove the pickling liquid from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

7. 7

   Place the rinsed vegetables into a clean glass jar and pour the cooled pickling liquid over them until submerged.

8. 8

   Place the jar in the fridge and let the flavors develop for at least one hour before serving.

Notes

The 'golden ratio' for the brine is 1:1:1 (sugar:vinegar:water). You can adjust the quantities of the brine as long as you maintain these proportions. The vegetables will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Use a glass canning jar for best results.

Nutrition per serving

• side dish
• pickled
• Vietnamese
• vegan
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• condiment
• banh mi