Ðồ Chua Pickle
Literally meaning “sour stuff,” this is the everyday Vietnamese pickle that you’ve seen and eaten countless times in bánh mì, on rice plates, and in other dishes. Ðồ chua is typically made with daikon and carrot, but you can use jicama instead of the daikon for a crunchy-sweet result. It does require more time: You can’t massage it as it will just break apart and you need to chill the pickle 1–2 days to allow the flavors to fully develop before using. If using daikon, choose one that is dense with firm, smooth skin, which are signs that it enjoyed good growing conditions and will likely taste more sweet than bitter. Precut jicama may be sliced into matchsticks for this pickle.
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What you’ll need
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $11 At Amazon
Chef's Knife
$61 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
1 Quart Glass Jar
$15 $11 At 32-Ounce Mason Jar
Colander
$15 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes, plus 1 hour resting time
Yield
Makes about 6 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toss 2 lb. daikon (about 1), peeled, cut into 3x¼" matchsticks, 12 oz. carrots (about 6 medium), trimmed, peeled, cut into 3x¼" matchsticks, 4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 4 tsp. sugar in a medium bowl to combine. Let sit 20 minutes. You should be able to bend a piece of daikon to make the ends touch without it breaking. (If you need to speed up the process, you can massage and knead vegetables with your hands until softened, about 3 minutes.)
Step 2
Rinse vegetables in a large mesh sieve or colander under running water, then press or shake to expel excess moisture. Divide between two 1-qt. glass jars or airtight containers.
Step 3
Stir 2½ cups distilled white vinegar, remaining 1 cup sugar, and 2 cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into jars to cover vegetables; reserve any excess for making salad dressing (you may have about 1 cup liquid left over). Cover and let sit at least 1 hour at room temperature. Drain before using.
Do ahead: Vegetables can be pickled 1 month ahead. Chill.
Recipe notes
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