Wednesday 3 September 2008

Pickled Daikons

Viggies Gnomes asked me about the pickled Daikons I made for Kitchen Gardners' Day. I have to admit that it was first time I grew Daikons and it was first time I made pickled Daikons. (It doesn't taste quite the same back home.)

The main goal is to make daikons as crunchy as possible, and then mix in the dressing or sauces you like for some time to let the flavour go into them.

1.Cut and dry it:
Wash Daikons, cut into strips. (Leave the skin on) Put on a mash to sundry for a day or two, untill the surfaces of Daikons are dry and not stingy and the Daikons are soft. This process makes Daikons more crunchy and makes the unpleasant taste of Daikons go away. You could omit it.
2.Salt it:
Salt them a little and knead a few times. (they'll become more moist).
3.Compress:
Put them tightly in a jar or put a heavy stone on them for a day or two at room temperature.
4. Seasoning:
Mix with the dressing or sauces you like for some time to let the flavour go into them.
For example:
Ginger + rice wine+ soy sauce
Miso
Chili sauce
Hot chili oil + fermented black beans(black beans sauce)
If put in the fridge, it should last for one week or two.

I think it's best to eat pickle daikons with plain rice soup:)

Have fun!



I found the below picture of pickled Daikons with chili sauce on the net.

4 comments:

Maggie said...

Thanks for this recipe Ting.
Daikon is a great veggie and so good for you.
I make grated daikon fritters, grated daikon and carrot salad, I add daikon to veggie soups and stir frys.
I am thinking of making a cooked relish, chutney with daikon, pears or apples, carrots and spices.
Daikon is a good winter veggie and as you have posted before, the leaves are very edible, and salting before cooking can reduce the bitterness of older leaves.

Veggie Gnome said...

Thank you, Ting! I shall try this recipe soon. I'm eyeing my daikon that's growing nicely in the garden.

Thanks also, Maggie, for all the serving suggestions for daikon. I'm growing it the first time this year - and how glad I am that I'm doing so!

Anonymous said...

Is Daikon the long white radish root also called Mooli? I would love to try growing it if anyone has seeds I could swap for.

Maggie said...

Yes it is Mooli in Indian or Daikon in Japanese or white radish. It is a really hardy plant to grow, they can be eaten raw when carrot sized or grown larger for other recipes.