Pickled Carrots & Daikon Radish (Do Chua)

Set out the saucepan. Start with this step: 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…

Include the chilling step when deciding when to start.

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.)

Follow the covered and uncovered stages in their stated order.

Let the flavors meld . 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. Also, you can also add a few chili pepper slices or a sprinkling of chili flakes if you want it on the spicy side. Alternatively, you can also add red shallots and garlic for a more savory punch. Opt for rice vinegar . 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. Use a mandoline if you have one. You can also shred the vegetables with a grater or the grating disk on a food processor . Don’t be bothered by the smell. 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.