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The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
73 | Calories |
0g | Fat |
17g | Carbs |
0g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 8 to 10 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 73 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 0g | 0% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 649mg | 28% |
Total Carbohydrate 17g | 6% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
Total Sugars 16g | |
Protein 0g | |
Vitamin C 6mg | 28% |
Calcium 15mg | 1% |
Iron 0mg | 1% |
Potassium 109mg | 2% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Pickles or tsukemono (as they are known in Japanese) are essential to most meals in Japanese cuisine. They refer to all types of pickles regardless of their flavor or ingredients. Commonly, tsukemono is served with rice dishes or in a bento (lunch box), but they are often an acceptable side dish for any meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
There are many varieties of pickled daikon available for sale at the supermarket, but these pickles can very easily be made at home. The average home cook can easily whip this up in 20 minutes, and you’ll be amazed at how such a small side dish of sweet, spicy, and tangy pickles instantly ups the “wow” factor to your home-cooked Japanese meal.
This recipe is easy if you’ve got an adequately-stocked Japanese pantry at home. After a trip to the farmers market for a fresh daikon root, you’ll be on your way to a fabulous dish of pickles.
The daikon pickles will keep in a refrigerator for one week.
Ingredients
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1 daikon
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3/4 cup sugar
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3/4 cup rice vinegar
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1 tablespoon salt
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1/2 tablespoon dried kombu dashi powder
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2 tablespoons sake
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1 teaspoon dried red chile pepper, thinly sliced
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Using a vegetable scrub, gently wash the exterior of daikon. Remove leafy green top.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Using a vegetable peeler, gently peel and discard the exterior of daikon skin that is discolored.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Slice daikon into approximate 2-inch-long pieces and then slice into thick lengthwise pieces.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Make pickling marinade: Combine sugar and vinegar until sugar dissolves. Because sugar does not easily dissolve at room temperature, optionally, the 2 ingredients may be combined in a small pot and heated over stove on low to medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat immediately.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Allow sugar and vinegar mixture to cool.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Add salt, dried dashi powder, and sake to the pickling marinade. Mix well to combine. Allow marinade to cool completely.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Add dried red chile peppers to marinade to taste. Omit if you prefer not to have any spice.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
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Add sliced daikon to a shallow resealable plastic container. Pour pickling marinade over daikon pieces and seal the container closed. The pickles can be marinated for a day at room temperature.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Tip
- The longer the daikon radish is marinated, the more flavorful it is.