Do chua is essentially pickled carrots and daikon. It is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine and can be used in countless ways.
But this sweet-and-sour vegetable condiment is most often tucked into the iconic Vietnamese sandwich, the banh mi.
The vegetables are sliced, brined, and ready to eat almost right away. Their flavor deepens after a few days in the refrigerator and they can be enjoyed like any other pickle. Try them with a good bun cha, for example.
Ultra-Quick Vietnamese-Style Pickled Carrots and Daikon
When you bite into a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, you savor that amazing harmony of salty, spicy, sweet, savory, and acidic notes that makes your taste buds dance. What other sandwich in the world offers such a complete range of flavors ? Just yum !
Well, the secret behind the sweet-and-sour element of this sandwich lies in these pickled vegetables!
This do chua draws its punch from a vinegar brine, so it might be a bit tangy to eat straight from the jar (unless you’re a nut foodie like me).
But as a condiment on a banh mi sandwich, or really any Asian dish… they are divine !
What I PARTICULARLY LOVE about these quick-pickled carrots and daikon… or any other quick pickle:
- You can have a jar ready in under 30 minutes, and it gets even tastier after some time in the fridge.
- No need for hot-water canning… just whip them up whenever you need them.
- Use them on any Vietnamese dish that craves that irresistible sweet-and-sour kick …
The ingredients for do chua
Rice vinegar: an Asian vinegar that is now easy to find almost everywhere. It is well worth keeping in your pantry
Daikon radish: widely used in Japan and, as you can see, across all of Asia.
Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables (Đồ Chua) in 5 Minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into strips
- 1 medium daikon radish, peeled and cut into strips
- 50 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 240 ml water
- 120 ml rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a bowl, use your hands to massage the salt, sugar and vegetables until completely dissolved
- Add the water and rice vinegar
- Transfer everything to a jar. It can be eaten immediately but it is better after a night in the fridge… or even a week
Notes
Nutrition
Culinary sources
Serious eats write up on the subject
