Tangy, sweet, and crunchy! These easy Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish, also known as Đồ chua, are the second most important component in every Vietnamese dish (the most important part is of course the nuoc cham). It tastes great on its own, but adds the sweet acidity that cuts through fatty meats to round out every meal. It's the cherry on top that balances out flavors and textures and makes every Vietnamese dish that much better!
Make a batch of this at the beginning of the week and eat it when you meal prep my lemongrass ground chicken, chao tom, and pork banh mi burger!
What is Đồ chua?
Đồ chua literally translates to "sour stuff" in Vietnamese. However, it most commonly refers to Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish, which are Vietnamese quick pickles. Đồ chua is sweet and tangy and is a staple condiment in most Vietnamese dishes!
You'll most often find it as a key ingredient in bánh mì sandwiches, vermicelli bowls, and rice plates! It's commonly paired with meats, since the tanginess and acidity cut through rich and fatty foods for a well balanced bite.
Why you'll love these easy Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish (Đồ chua)
- Ready in 30 minutes! No overnight wait required.
- 5 simple ingredients - Uses pantry staples for a simple brine.
- Lasts for weeks! One batch can last up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Pairs with everything - Eat it with any meat, seafood, or rice or noodle dish!
Jump to:
- What is Đồ chua?
- Why you'll love these easy Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish (Đồ chua)
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Trang's Top Tips for the Best Do Chua
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to store Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish (do chua)
- FAQ
- What to serve it with:
- Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish (Đồ Chua)
Ingredients
Vegetables
- Carrot: For natural sweetness, color, and crunchy texture.
- Daikon radish: Found at Asian supermarkets. It is a large, white, and long radish that is milder than regular radishes. Commonly found in most Asian dishes.
- Salt: Draws out the moisture in the vegetables, which softens them and preps them to absorb the brine more easily. The vegetables are ready for the brine when you can bend them without them snapping.
Brine
- Filtered water: I use a little bit of warm water here to dissolve the salt and sugar and then I top it off with cold water, but just cold water works too.
- Sugar: I use granulated white sugar so it doesn't change the taste. Add more sugar for a little more sweetness, as desired.
- Salt: Kosher salt to taste.
- Distilled white vinegar: The simplest vinegar that won't change the flavor of the pickles.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: In a sieve, add julienned carrots, daikon radish, and salt. Give it a good mix and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until the carrots and daikon radish start releasing water and have softened.
- Step 2: After the carrots and daikon radish have softened, rinse them under cold water to remove any excess salt. Give them a good squeeze to remove excess water.
- Step 3: To a jar, add water, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Give it a mix until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the carrots and daikon radish and push them down so they are submerged in brining liquid. Allow it to pickle for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before enjoying.
Trang's Top Tips for the Best Do Chua
- Salt the vegetables to draw out the moisture! This will soften them and allow the brine to penetrate them quicker and more evenly.
- Use a julienne peeler for consistency and efficiency!
- Make sure the vegetables are submerged in the brine.
- Cut the julienned vegetables if they're too long! They shouldn't be long like noodles!
- Be sure to dissolve the salt and sugar before adding the veggies. I like to add ⅓ cup of boiling water to dissolve the sugar and salt before topping it with ⅔ cup of cold water.
- These are ready in 30 minutes but taste even better overnight.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegetables -
- Daikon radish: No daikon radish? Using just carrots work too! I personally wouldn't substitute daikon radish with regular radish since it's more harsh and has a different flavor profile, but feel free to use regular radish if you'd like!
- Green papaya: Add green papaya for a sour tangy crunch, which is commonly seen in Northern Vietnamese dishes like bun cha.
- Sugar - Use less sugar for less sweetness or a sugar alternative for fewer calories. For a traditionally sweeter do chua, use ⅓ cup of sugar instead of ¼ cup.
- Vinegar - White vinegar is my preferred vinegar since it won't change the taste of the pickles, but feel free to experiment with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar if that's all you have. Note the flavor will vary.
- Spice - Add black peppercorns or a Thai chili for a kick of heat.
How to store Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon radish (do chua)
Store the do chua in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks! Use clean tongs or chopsticks every time to make the Vietnamese pickles last longer.
FAQ
Regular radish is harsher than daikon radish, so while regular radish could work, feel free to just use only carrots if that's all you have.
Daikon radish has a very strong potent smell when pickled, so have no fear if it smells strong! This is normal.
Do chua is sweet, tangy, and crunchy! It's not sour like American pickles and is meant to be on the sweeter side.
What to serve it with:
- Bun bo xao (lemongrass beef vermicelli bowl)
- Banh tom chien (Vietnamese sweet potato shrimp fritter)
- Banh khot (mini crispy Vietnamese pancakes)
Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish (Đồ Chua)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 oz daikon radish julienned
- 6 oz carrots julienned
- 2 teaspoon salt
Brine
- ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup water filtered
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a sieve, add julienned carrots, daikon radish, and salt. Give it a good mix and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until the carrots and daikon radish start releasing water and have softened.6 oz daikon radish, 6 oz carrots, 2 teaspoon salt
- After the carrots and daikon radish have softened, rinse them under cold water to remove any excess salt. Give them a good squeeze to remove excess water.
- To a jar, add water, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Give it a mix until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the carrots and daikon radish and push them down so they are submerged in brining liquid. Allow it to pickle for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before enjoying.⅓ cup distilled white vinegar, ¼ cup sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup water
Notes
- I like to add ⅓ cup of boiling water to dissolve the sugar and salt before topping it with ⅔ of cold water!
- Store the do chua in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks! Use clean tongs or chopsticks every time to make the Vietnamese pickles last longer.
- Daikon radish has a very strong potent smell when pickled, so have no fear if it smells strong! This is normal.
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