Do Chua; Vietnamese Carrot & Daikon Pickles

(about 3 pints)

From time to time I get lunch from a Vietnamese restaurant which serves these pickles with every dish. These sweet and sour pickles are delicious, so much so I often devour them first before touching anything else on my plate. They are incredibly easy to make and will keep well refrigerated for several weeks. They are quite wonderful with grilled meats. I prepared them to go with the tandoori chicken I had yesterday.

This week the daikon were sold in bunches of three, so I made more than my usual amount. If you haven't purchased these radishes before, then look for firm ones around 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter. These are generally the tastiest, if they get too large they can become rather bitter.

1 lb daikon radishes
1 lb carrots
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 1/4 cups warm water

Wash and peel both the daikon and carrots. Cut both into even matchstick style pieces and place in a non reactive bowl. I used a package of snacking carrots, so I cut the diakon to match their length.

Sprinkle the salt and sugar over the cut up vegetables and toss a few times. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes, tossing once or twice.

Combine the 1/2 cup sugar, vinegar and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the carrots and daikon and place in a colander. Rinse with cold water, the return the vegetables to the bowl.

Add the sugar and vinegar mixture and toss to combine everything evenly. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (even better, overnight) before serving.

These will keep up to 3 or 4 weeks refrigerated. I have heard that the daikon can become quite "smelly" over time needing to be "aired", but I have yet to experience this.