Do chua is carrot and mooli (aka daikon radish), pickled in salt, sugar and vinegar. It’s the key ingredient in what is undoubtedly one of the world’s GOAT sandwiches – the banh mi. It keeps well in the fridge and is a really good addition to salads and sandwiches which after you make a batch, you can have on hand at all times. Also, as it’s fermented it’s believed to be rich in numerous bacteria which are of benefit to your gut.
Carrots 2-3 large
Mooli (aka daikon) roughly the same weight
White sugar 5 tbsp
Salt 2 tbsp
White vinegar 250ml
Water 500ml (bottled is arguably better than tap, but not essential)
If you’re lucky enough to have a food processor with a julienne attachment, peel your carrots and daikon and whack them through it. If not, you’re going to have do it by hand with a knife. It’s pretty time consuming but the finished result is far superior to grating or using a julienne peeler. You’re looking for sticks about 5cm long and roughly 3-4mm in diameter.
Once you’ve got the slicing out of the way, put the veg in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of sugar. You then need to massage the veg, making sure each stick is covered and squeezing them gently. After doing that for about a minute, add a further tablespoon of salt a repeat the massage for 2 minutes. You then need to leave them for at least 30 minutes for the sugar and salt to work their magic. I also like to put a small plate on top of them and weight it down with a tin can or similar.
You’ll know they’re ready when you can bend a carrot stick between your thumb and forefinger without any resistance.
Rinse your veg under the tap and shake off as much water as you can. Place in a large jar and add 4 tablespoons of sugar, 250ml vinegar, a tablespoon of salt and about 500ml of water. Leave out of the fridge for 2-3 days to start fermenting.
After that they’ll keep for at least a month in the fridge. You can get a slight musty smell when you open the jar. This is nothing to be concerned about and will disperse after a few minutes.