Đồ Chua | Vietnamese Pickled Carrots & Daikon (Radish)

If there’s one veggie dish that captures the essence of Southern Vietnamese cuisine, it’s definitely Đồ Chua. This vibrant, tangy pickled carrots and daikon is a breeze to make and incredibly versatile.

In the South, it’s a beloved side that elevates nearly every meal. Here’s the recipe, perfected with tips from the best Vietnamese aunties

What is Đồ Chua?

In Vietnamese, Đồ Chua translates to “Sour Stuff.”

It’s prepared through pickling method. Pickling involves soaking food in an acidic brine to produce a sour taste. This process differs from fermentation, where foods become sour through a chemical reaction between naturally occurring sugars and bacteria.

Instructions

The thickness of the vegetable strips can vary depending on the dish. For Bánh Mì , go for thicker strips to keep them crunchy. For Vietnamese rice noodle salads ,opt for thinner strips to blend seamlessly.

• Peel carrot and daikon.
• Julienne the veggies to your preferred size. You can use a mandolin slicer, a vegetable shredder, or cut them by hand—just make sure the strips are thick enough to stay crunchy.
• Create the vinegar solution by combining vinegar, sugar, and water.
• Pack the vegetables into a jar or container, then pour the brine over them, making sure they’re fully submerged.
• Refrigerate for about 8 hours, and they’ll be ready to enjoy!

The Northern counterpart of Đồ Chua is Dưa Góp, made with carrot and green papaya (or kohlrabi). It is often served with many of Hanoi’s signature dishes, such as Bún Chả (Northern rice noodles with grilled pork) and Hanoi Spring Rolls.

Make Đồ Chua in less than 40 minutes

This method is perfect for making a smaller batch of Đồ Chua. By salting the vegetables and using warm water for the brine, you can speed up the absorption process and get your pickles ready faster.

• Toss the veggies with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes (about 1/2 tsp salt for 1.1 lbs / 500g of carrots and daikon). Rinse them thoroughly and gently squeeze to remove excess moisture.
• In a pot, combine water, vinegar, and sugar (ensuring there’s enough liquid to cover all the vegetables). Warm the brine to around 160°F (70°C), stirring well to completely dissolve the sugar.
• Pour the brine over the vegetables. After waiting for 20 minutes, you can enjoy it with various Vietnamese dishes.

Substitutes

• If you can’t find daikon, kohlrabi or green papaya are great substitutes. I often opt for kohlrabi myself, as it’s more budget-friendly in Germany.
• You can also use this brine with various other vegetables, such as cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli (both the buds and stems), and morning glory / water spinach (rau muống).
• You could use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar or distilled vinegar for the brine.

Helpful Tips

• If you plan to store Đồ Chua for a longer time, remember to sterilize the containers.
• Do not leave the pickles at room temperature, as they could become overly sour.
• Be careful when using mandolin slicer or vegetable shredder since it could be very sharp. Wear a cut-resistant glove during this process.

More delicious Vietnamese veggie dishes

Đồ Chua | Vietnamese Pickled Carrots & Daikon (Radish)

Cielle

Đồ Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Carrot & Daikon) is a well-loved accompaniment for various Vietnamese savory dishes. In this blog post, I will guide you how to prepare Đồ Chua with an easily memorable ingredient ratio and the simplest, yet flavor-centric, approach.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Course Condiments

Cuisine Vietnamese

Equipment

• Mandolin slicer
• Vegetable shredder

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb daikon (450g)
• 0.7 lbs carrot (320g)
• 1.5 cup water (375ml)
• 1.5 cup sugar (375ml)
• 1.5 cup rice vinegar (5%) (375ml)

Instructions

 

Simple way

• Begin by peeling the carrots and daikon.
• Next, julienne the vegetables to your desired size. You can use a mandolin slicer, a vegetable shredder, or by manually cutting them into thin strips. Maintain some thickness in the strips for a satisfying crunch.
• Prepare the vinegar solution by combining vinegar, sugar, and water.
• Transfer the prepared vegetables into a jar or container, then pour in the brine, ensuring all the vegetables are fully submerged.
• Finally, refrigerate the pickles for about 8 hours before enjoying.

Express Đồ Chua (ideal for a small batch)

• Toss the julienned vegetables with a small pinch of salt for 15 minutes (1/2 tsp salt for 1.1 lbs / 500g of carrots and daikon). Then, rinse them thoroughly and gently squeeze to eliminate excess moisture.
• In a saucepan, mix together water, vinegar, and sugar, ensuring there's sufficient liquid to submerge all the vegetables. Heat the brine to about 160°F (70°C), stirring thoroughly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Pour the brine over the prepared vegetables. After a 20-minute wait, your quick Đồ Chua will be ready to enjoy with a variety of Vietnamese dishes.

Notes

Substitutes:

• If daikon is unavailable, you can replace it with kohlrabi or green papaya.
• This brine can also be employed with a variety of other vegetables, including cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli (both the buds and stems), and morning glory / water spinach (rau muống).
• For the brine, all rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and distilled vinegar work well.

Helpful Tips:

• If you intend to keep Đồ Chua for a long time, don’t forget to sterilize the containers.
• Sprinkling a bit of salt on the veggies before brining can help lessen the strong smell of daikon, but it won’t make a big difference.
• Don’t leave the pickles at room temperature as your pickels will become overly sour.
• When using a mandolin slicer or vegetable shredder, be cautious because they can be quite sharp. It’s a good idea to wear a cut-resistant glove during this process.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!