Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon
If you tried Vietnamese Southern-style Baguette, especially in Ho Chi Minh City (bánh mì kiểu Sài Gòn), you definitely tasted Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon. The orange color of carrots and purely white color of daikon make it a vibrant topping in various Vietnamese dishes in the South.
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The combination between sweet and sour taste from this pickle helps to enhance every dishes, from Vietnamese Baguette (banh mi), Grilled Pork and Rice (com tam, com suon), Grilled Pork and Vermicelli (Bun thit nuong), Bot chien to Pho Tron and Southern Beef Noodle (Bun Bo Nam Bo). Once I know how to make it at home, there’s never a time that I don’t have a jar of pickle in the house to serve Vietnamese Dishes. Let’s make it.
What is Daikon Radish and its Application in Culinary
Daikon, also known as white radish or winter radish, is a type of radish that is commonly used in Asian cuisine, particularly in Japan, China, and Korea. It is a large, white, and mild-flavored root vegetable that belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which includes other vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and mustard.
Daikon has a crisp texture and a slightly peppery taste, although it is milder and less pungent than smaller red radishes. It can be consumed raw, cooked, or pickled. Here are some common uses of daikon in cooking:
- Raw: Daikon can be sliced or grated and added to salads for a crunchy texture and a fresh, slightly spicy flavor. It is one of the vegetables to eat with sashimi and sushi, together with pickled ginger and shiso leaves.
- Pickled: Daikon is often pickled to create a popular condiment known as “takuan” in Japanese cuisine. These pickles are sweet and slightly tangy, and they are commonly served alongside sushi and other Japanese dishes. In Vietnamese cuisine, people make pickled carrots and daikon to serve with vermicelli, rice or baguette.
- Adding umami flavor to Broth: When cooked, daikon becomes tender and add a natural umami flavor to the broth, such as Vietnamese Hu Tieu Nam Vang broth.
- Garnish: Daikon can be sliced into decorative shapes and used as a garnish to enhance the visual appeal of dishes.
In short, daikon is an important ingredient in Asian cuisine. You can find it in almost Asian food stores. To choose fresh daikon, pay attention to its firmness as it indicates freshness. Choose daikon radishes that are firm to the touch. Avoid those that feel soft, spongy, or have any noticeable wrinkles or blemishes.
Ingredients for Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon
The ingredient list is simple: 250g fresh carrots and 250g daikon, a bit of salt to wash them, and a mixture of vinegar, water and sugar to pickle them.
Note that the acidity of each type of vinegars is different, so you should check the acidity of your vinegar first. Here in this recipe, I mixed 50ml vinegar with 7% acidity, 150ml water and 100g sugar. If you use vinegar with 5% acidity, mix 100ml vinegar, 100ml water and 100g sugar. You should taste them again as well to adjust following your preference.
Instruction
Step 1. Grating Carrots and Daikon
- Peel the skin of your carrots and daikon radishes. Then, julienne them or cut them into small pieces. You can use a Multifunction Kitchen Peeler to shorten your processing time.
- Wash them thoroughly, then mix them well with ½ tbsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar to drain a part of water in carrots and daikon. Let them sit in 30 minutes minimum.
Step 2. Making vinegar and sugar mixture
- In a pot, add water, sugar and vinegar in. Turn on medium heat, stir the mixture to dissolve sugar and cook the mixture until boiling. Once boiling, remove the pot from heat and let them cool down completely. This will take you 30 minutes to 1 hour depend on your room temperature.
Step 3. Mixing Grated carrots and daikon with vinegar mixture
- When the vinegar mixture is totally cooled down, squeeze out your grated carrots and daikon and transfer them into a clean and dry glass jar/box with airtight lid. You should use glass or porcelain jar/box because vinegar contains acid.
- Pour the vinegar mixture onto shredded vegetables. Close the lid and let them sit in at least 1 hour before use.
Store Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon
As there is acid from vinegar, you can keep them in a cool, dry place in your kitchen at room temperature and consume them all in 5-7 days. However, to store them in longer time, I recommend keeping them in fridge up to a month.
It’s also not appropriate to freeze pickled carrots and daikon, so you better make enough pickles for your family and finish eating them in a month.
Quick & Easy Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrots and daikon
- 250 g carrots ~9 oz
- 250 g daikon ~9 oz
- 1/2 tbsp salt & 1 tbsp sugar
Vinegar mixture
- 100 g sugar, and 1/2 cup
- 50ml (1/4 cup) vinegar 7% and 150ml (3/4 cup) water, or
- 100 ml (1/2 cup) vinegar 5% and 100ml (1/2 cup) water
Instructions
Step 1. Grating Carrots and Daikon
- Peel the skin of your carrots and daikon radishes.
- Then, julienne them or cut them into small pieces. You can use a Multifunction Kitchen Peeler to shorten your processing time. Soak them in cool water.
- Wash them thoroughly, then mix them well with ½ tbsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar to drain a part of water in carrots and daikon. Let them sit in 30 minutes minimum.
Step 2. Making vinegar and sugar mixture
- In a pot, add water, sugar and vinegar in. Turn on medium heat, stir the mixture to dissolve sugar and cook the mixture until boiling. Once boiling, remove the pot from heat and let them cool down completely. This will take you 30 minutes to 1 hour depend on your room temperature.
- Step 3. Mixing Grated carrots and daikon with vinegar mixture
- When the vinegar mixture is totally cooled down, squeeze out your grated carrots and daikon and transfer them into a clean and dry glass jar/box with airtight lid. You should use glass or porcelain jar/box because vinegar contains acid.
- Pour the vinegar mixture onto shredded vegetables. Close the lid and let them sit in at least 1 hour before use.
- Now you can enjoy your flavorful pickled carrots and daikon. If it becomes too tangy, remove the vinegar mixture from the jar.
Nutrition
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