Do Chua (Pickled Carrot and Daikon)

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.