Carrot and daikon pickle (do chua)

This is a versatile Vietnamese pickle recipe for do chua. You’ll usually find it in bánh mì, alongside broken rice and grilled meats.

Carrot and daikon pickle (do chua). Credit: Tammi Kwok

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Who gets to decide what good and bad food is? Have you ever had someone yuck your yum? Have you read outstanding reviews for a hot, new restaurant and found the food disappointing? 

Hosted by food writer Jess Ho, Bad Taste is a six-part podcast series that will make you reconsider the perception of good taste.

"In Bad Taste, I wanted to explore the complexity of different dishes and let them be their own hero. I wanted to explore the full story behind each dish and see how they make us who we are."

Each episode will analyse a food, trace back its history, and look at its relevance today through the eyes of guests Nathan Lyons, Rosheen Kaul, Bruce Pascoe, Jacob Birch, Alum Choi, Miin Chan, Beź Zewdie, Ruth Gebreyesus, Thi Le and Vien Tran.

Ingredients

• 250 g carrot, julienned
• 250 g daikon, julienned
• 1½ tbsp fine sea salt
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup vinegar

This recipe makes 1 x 600g or 2 x 300g jars.

Resting time: 48hrs

Instructions

1. Salt the carrot and daikon in a large bowl and leave for 30 minutes. 
2. Rinse off the salt from the vegetables and drain. Squeeze out any excess moisture.
3. In a small pot, boil the water and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. 
4. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar, stirring to combine. 
5. Pack your vegetables into sterilised glass jars.
6. Top off with your pickling solution, making sure all the vegetables are covered.
7. Screw on the lids and leave for at least 48 hours. Taste to check if they’re ready, they may take a few days longer. 
8. Transfer to the fridge once they’re done and taste sweet and tangy. Eat it with bánh mì, on broken rice or grilled meats. 

 

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Who gets to decide what good and bad food is? Have you ever had someone yuck your yum? Have you read outstanding reviews for a hot, new restaurant and found the food disappointing? 

Hosted by food writer Jess Ho, Bad Taste is a six-part podcast series that will make you reconsider the perception of good taste.

"In Bad Taste, I wanted to explore the complexity of different dishes and let them be their own hero. I wanted to explore the full story behind each dish and see how they make us who we are."

Each episode will analyse a food, trace back its history, and look at its relevance today through the eyes of guests Nathan Lyons, Rosheen Kaul, Bruce Pascoe, Jacob Birch, Alum Choi, Miin Chan, Beź Zewdie, Ruth Gebreyesus, Thi Le and Vien Tran.