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Kohaku Namasu (Red and White Pickled Daikon and Carrot)
Serves 4 · About 50 min (30 min of this is just letting it sit in the fridge)
Thin strips of daikon and carrot rubbed with salt and soaked in sweet vinegar. A Japanese side dish also served in osechi, the New Year's food.
① Cut the daikon and carrot into thin strips→② Rub with salt and squeeze→③ Make the sweet vinegar sauce→④ Soak in sweet vinegar and let sit
What to buy
Vegetables
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How to make it
1
Cut the daikon and carrot into thin strips
- Peel the daikon and cut it into 4–5 cm lengths
- Stand each piece on its cut end on the cutting board and slice it lengthwise into thin slices about 2 mm thick
- Stack the slices, shifting each a little, and cut from the end into thin strips about 2 mm wide
- Peel the carrot too, cut it to the same length as the daikon, and cut it into strips a little thinner than the daikon
How to tell it's doneEverything is about the same thickness and length.
Be carefulIf you cut it while it is round, it rolls. Make a flat side first and cut with that side down.
2
Rub with salt and squeeze
- Put the daikon, carrot and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl and rub lightly all over with your hands
- Leave it as is for 10 minutes
- Squeeze a little at a time hard with both hands to squeeze out the water. Throw away the water in the bowl
How to tell it's doneThe daikon is soft enough to bend, and almost no water comes out when you squeeze.
3
Make the sweet vinegar sauce
- In another bowl, put 3 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt
- Mix well with a spoon
How to tell it's doneWhen you run a spoon along the bottom, no gritty sugar is left.
4
Soak in sweet vinegar and let sit
- Put the squeezed daikon and carrot in the bowl of sweet vinegar and mix everything with chopsticks
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 min or more
ReadyThe daikon is a little see-through, and the sweet vinegar has soaked in all over. Lightly drain off the liquid and serve in small bowls. Keeps about 3–4 days in the fridge in a container with a lid.
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🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
Watery and blandIt was not squeezed enough in step 2. Next time, squeeze until almost no water comes out.
Too sourAdd sugar 1 tsp at a time, mix, let sit 10 min, then taste.
Too saltyToo much salt for rubbing in step 2, or it was not squeezed enough. Next time, measure the salt.
It is hard to eatThe strips are too thick. Next time, cut them thin, about 2 mm.
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