I’m you’ve ever had Vienamese Buns (Bun Bo/Tom/Ga = litterally “beef”/”shrimp”/”chicken” and “rice vermicelli”) or Banh Mis, you’re familiar with Do Chua.

Do Chua literally means “sour things” in Vietnamese, and it refers specifically to the pickled carrot and daikon radish mix that’s a staple condiment in Vietnamese cuisine. It is heavily influenced by East Asian pickling practices (particularly Chinese), but adapted to local Vietnamese flavors : what I love about it is its brighter, sweeter and sour taste profile, compared to other pungent, vinegary pickles.

Whenever you feel like balancing out some rich, savoury foods, these pickles can be a must-have ; I would never eat Banh Mis without Do Chua. Besides the classic Vietnamese dishes mentionned, I like to use them :

• in rice bowls, especially when they include meat ;
• is spring rolls, particularly fresh rather than fried ones.

Plus, as I already claimed in my Pickled Onions recipe, pickles are so easy to make that there really is no excuse ! You need around 15 minutes and 4 ingredients besides water and salt to get them done. And all your friends will think you’re so gourmet because you have homemade pickles in your fridge. 

Recipe – Advice & Key points

• How to cut your veggies : You have three different options :
  • You can use a specific Do Chua mandolin, such as this one. What I like best about it is that you don’t need to leave the veggies to drain with salt, since they’re so thin that they already have this bending feature we’re looking for. 
  • If using a classic mandolin of a knife, no issue ! I’ve made it several time. Simply keep in mind that if your matchsticks are a tad thick and can’t easily bend, you need to let them sit with salt around 10-15 minutes so that they render out their moisture.   
• What if you can’t find Daikon : No worries : replace it with classic radishes (still cut into matchsticks), or only use carrots. 

Print Recipe

Do Chua (Pickled Carrot and Daikon)

Author: Multicarbs Cooking Method: Simmering Cuisine: Asian cuisines, Vietnamese cuisine Courses: Condiment Recipe Keys: Sans Gluten Sans maïs Sans œufs Sans soja Végan V Vegetarian

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 5 min Total Time 15 mins

Servings: 8

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

Sweet, sour and crunchy Vietnamese pickles that you can use in sandwiches, rice, or noods. All this for 15 minutes of your time !

Ingredients

Servings

• 300 grams daikon
• 300 grams carrots (~2 to 3 medium)
• 300 milliliters white vinegar
• 300 milliliters water
• 180 grams sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Heat your brine

   To a small pot, add your vinegar, the same amount of water, your sugar and your salt.

   Heat up over medium-high heat. Once hot, stir for a minute or two to make sure the sugar fully dissolves.

   Bring the brine to a boil, then remove from heat.

2. Prepare your veggies

   Either grate your veggies using a Do Chua mandolin, or make matchsticks using a knife/a classic mandolin.

   Add to a heat-proof glass jar.

   If using a knife or a classic mandolin, see if your matchsticks can completely, easily bend ; if not, let them soak into salt 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse and dry.

3. Pour and store !

   Pour your brine onto your veggies.

   Make sure they are entirely submerged in brine.

   Store in your fridge once cooled.

   Et voilà ! You’re done !

Note

• My pickles keep for 1 to 2 months in the fridge. After that, they will still be good to eat, but the texture and taste might be altered. 

Keywords: home made, condiment, pickle, Do Chua, Vietnamese pickle, pickled radishes and carrots, pickled daikon and carrots, pickled daikon, pickled carrot, sweet and sour, sour,