Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish (Do Chua)

Let this brightly flavored, palate-cleansing Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish bring your fried and grilled entrees, sandwiches, and salads to new heights! It is an explosion of clean, fresh, and sweet-tangy flavors with every crisp mouthful. You will be pleasantly surprised by how easy this popular Vietnamese pickled side dish is to put together using 5 inexpensive ingredients that you usually have in your pantry.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & get this sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Name *

Email *

Save Recipe

What Is It?

Called “Do Chua” by the locals, which simply means “sour things” in English. It is a well-loved Vietnamese pickled vegetable traditionally seen on bánh mi sandwiches. Simply made with carrots and daikon radish slices pickled in rice vinegar and sugar. They are also great over rice, in a salad, or as a garnish for dipping sauces like this garlic sauce. Or even just as something to snack on. We love how its fresh flavors clean our palates during mealtime, especially when eating savory dishes like these 16 Savory Tofu Dishes.

 Ingredients Needed to Make Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish

• Daikon radish – Is a winter radish also commonly known as white or icicle radish. Unlike the usual zesty, peppery red radishes that we use on salads, this one is milder in flavor with a sweeter undertone and the same crisp texture. It is a low-calorie cruciferous vegetable with an impressive nutrient profile, including fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
• Carrots – We used 2 large carrots for this recipe. If you have small ones on your chiller, you can just use three. However, the ratio between carrots and daikon depends on you, so add as much as you like.
• Kosher salt – Tossing the sliced carrots and radish in salt and letting them sit for a while will draw out excess moisture from them. This makes the veggies stay crisp longer. It also helps with preserving their freshness longer.
• Rice vinegar – Made of fermented rice, this vinegar has a milder and sweeter taste compared to regular white vinegar. You can use apple cider or white vinegar as substitute, but take note that the acidity levels differ, so it will turn out differently.
• Sugar – Gives the pickling solution sweetness, which cuts through the tanginess of the vinegar nicely. We used 5 tablespoons of granulated white sugar, which we find to perfectly balance the acidity. However, the sweetness level of your Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish depends on your preference.

How to Make Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish

1. Prepare the Carrots and Daikon Radish. Peel, wash, and slice them into fine strips. Once done, place them in a big bowl and sprinkle salt all over. Toss and massage for a bit, then set aside for at least 20 minutes.
2. Make the Vinegar Solution. Add the rice vinegar and sugar to a saucepan and let it boil under medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
3. Mix together. Drain the carrots and daikon radish on a colander, and squeeze out any excess moisture using your hands. Transfer the drained veggies to a medium bowl and pour the vinegar solution. Toss until the solution is evenly distributed.
4. Marinate and Chill. Allow the mixture to blend and settle at room temperature for at least an hour before serving. The rest should be placed in the fridge to store for future use.

 Success Tips:

• The pickles’ flavor improves over time, so the longer you allow the flavors to meld together, the better!
• Play with the amount of vinegar and sugar to your liking. Add more vinegar if you want a tangier Do Chua, or add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter. You can also add a few chili pepper slices or a sprinkling of chili flakes if you want it on the spicy side. You can also add red shallots and garlic for a more savory punch.
• Having made this with both rice vinegar and white vinegar, I can say that it’s worth getting the rice vinegar if you don’t already have some in your pantry. There’s something off and a little aggressive about these pickles when made with white vinegar, which probably has to do with rice vinegar’s lower acidity level.
• Make your prep time easier by using a mandoline if you have one. You can also shred the vegetables with a grater or the grating disk on a food processor.
• When you open up the container, the daikon will have a distinct smell. Do not throw it away as this does not mean it has gone bad.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why does it have a funky smell? The smell mainly comes from the daikon radish. It contains sulfur compounds that produces a not-so-pleasant odor, especially when pickled. Salting it should reduce the smell, but not entirely. Do not let it turn you off from this great-tasting side dish, though.
2. Can I serve it right away? Technically, you can because the vinegar solution is boiled. However, we do not suggest skipping the marinating time for the best results.
3. How long can I store it? The pickles should keep around three weeks. Use sterile jars with tight lids to keep it fresher longer and keep it refrigerated. Always use a new, clean spoon when scooping to prevent bacteria build-up.

Looking for other easy-to-make homemade Pickles? Try these:

• Small-Batch Pickled Beets – A delightful way to add a sweet and tangy flavor to your salads, sandwiches, or side dishes. An easy refrigerator pickle that looks great in jars but would look absolutely gorgeous on your plates. Transform these earthy beets into delicious and tender slices of utter bliss with just 5 ingredients.
• Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles – Ditch the grocery store and do it yourself! These super-easy and simple Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles are such a dream! They are an essential when making a vegan chickpea tuna salad and a very necessary addition to our favorite potato salad. Enjoy!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish (Do Chua)

5 from 36 votes

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 0 minutes mins

Marinate: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Pin Print

Let this brightly flavored, colorful jar of Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish bring your fried and grilled entrees, sandwiches, and salads to new heights! It is an explosion of clean, fresh, and sweet-tangy flavors with every crisp mouthful.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons
• Measuring Cups
• Mandoline

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 one-pound daikon radish
• ▢ 2 large carrots
• ▢ ½ tablespoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 cup rice vinegar
• ▢ 5 tablespoons sugar

Instructions 

• Peel and rinse the daikon and carrots, and julienne them into fine strips. (You can use a mandoline for this, or you can take the opportunity to practice your knife skills.) Put the daikon and carrots into a bowl and toss with the salt. Set aside for 20 minutes.
• Put the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir to make sure the sugar's dissolved, then remove from the heat and let cool.
• Transfer the daikon and carrots to a colander, and rinse thoroughly. Squeeze out small handfuls of the vegetables to remove as much water as possible, then transfer them to a bowl. Pour the cooled vinegar-and-sugar mixture over, and toss to combine.
• Let the mixture marinate at room temperature for an hour, then either serve or transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate. The pickles should keep around three weeks. (When you open up the container, the daikon will have a distinct smell. It's not entirely pleasant. It won't taste bad or anything, but you can open up the container, leave the room, and come back in a little bit if the smell's not doing it for you.)

Notes

• The pickles’ flavor improves over time, so the longer you allow the flavors to meld together, the better!
• Play with the amount of vinegar and sugar to your liking. Add more vinegar if you want a tangier Do Chua, or add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter. You can also add a few chili pepper slices or a sprinkling of chili flakes if you want it on the spicy side. You can also add red shallots and garlic for a more savory punch.
• Having made this with both rice vinegar and white vinegar, I can say that it’s worth getting the rice vinegar if you don’t already have some in your pantry. There’s something off and a little aggressive about these pickles when made with white vinegar, which probably has to do with rice vinegar’s lower acidity level.
• Make your prep time easier by using a mandoline if you have one. You can also shred the vegetables with a grater or the grating disk on a food processor.
• When you open up the container, the daikon will have a distinct smell. Do not throw it away as this does not mean it has gone bad.

Nutrition

Calories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 615mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 4009IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg

Additional Info

Author: Stefan

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

Method: Stove

Diet: Vegan

Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂