I have the BEST bánh mì place. Or more correctly, I HAD the best bánh mì place. It was two blocks north of my house, insanely cheap, had vietnamese talk shows on the TV while we waited, a fridge full of chrysanthemum teas and pennywort drinks and was generally just perfection. It’s probably not why we moved to this neighborhood, but it sure didn’t hurt. I’m more of a homemade lunch kinda lady (you may have guessed this already), but sometimes that particular combination of airy and substantial is just what you need. So when my spot, Cafe Nhuy Y, closed its doors, promising to reopen in new digs just a few blocks away, I did a bit of research on a new spot. I’ve heard this tale of just-moving-not-closing before, and I know there’s always the possibility that Cafe Nhuy is gone forever and not just opening again four blocks away.
It’s only been closed for a couple months, so I’ve only had the chance to try one new place so far and it wasn’t bad at all. Not bad, but by no means offering the transcendence one gains by eating at Nhuy. The pickles in particular were not doing it for me. I might be am extremely picky when it comes to pickles, but honestly, what did they do? Soak some carrot and daikon in distilled vinegar for 15 minutes and call that a pickle? I think not, my friends. This very simple recipe is how WE do a bánh mì pickle. I promise you, if a sub par sandwich dares cross your plate, you’ll want to shove some of these between those slices of bread. I’d say, “Thank me later,” but we both know your mouth will be too full of these pickles to do any proper thanking.
BANH MI PICKLE (SPICY CARROT DAIKON PICKLE)
Yields one quart of pickles, scales well || Fermentation Time 1 week || Active Time Depends on if you have a mandoline or not. ~15 minutes. ||
To me, this pickle is a prime example of how vinegar can’t even come close to mimicking the complex acidity of fermentation. The best part is, these pickles are not only glorious on banh mi. They also work well as a taco topper, mixed in to delicious summer salads or on their own as an afternoon snack (I use my fingers!). If you’re new to fermented pickling, please check out my pickling FAQ before you get started.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. carrot, unpeeled
- 1 lb. daikon radish, unpeeled
- 1 jalapeño (optional, but if you don’t mind a little bit of heat, keep it in)
- 2 (14 g) teaspoons fine sea salt
How-To
- If you have mad knife skills, take your carrot and daikon and make them into matchsticks. My knife skills are way more sad than mad, so I cheat and use a mandoline. If you don’t have one and you also don’t have knife skills, you can do your best to make match sticks or slightly larger sticks. Just remember that size matters. If your pieces are larger, you may need to add a day or two to fermentation to achieve the desired flavor. Try to be as consistent as possible, but don’t kill yourself. They’ll still taste amazing, even if they’re misshapen and an embarrassing indicator of how little time you spend with your expensive chef’s knife.
- Remove the jalapeno’s crown and slice it in half, lengthwise.
- Put the carrot and daikon into a bowl and toss well with salt.
- Once they’re sweating, pack them into a quart jar with the jalapeño halves. If you want prettiness, lay your jalapeño halves flat against the side of the jar and pack that roots in around them. And I do mean pack them in. I use a very clean fist to get those babies in place. All told, your jar should be full to just below the shoulders, and you should have a thin layer of liquid on top.
- If your pieces are larger, you may need to massage them a bit longer to get them to release their liquid. If they’re really not giving it up, add a tiny bit of brine to the top to ensure that they stay submerged. I used 1.5% salt by weight for these. If you need to add water, you can stick to that %, or just add a tiny pinch of salt and some water to the top.
- Weigh your pickles down to ensure a thin liquid layer covering them, and cover with a cloth and rubber band or loosely with the jar lid, as your submerging situation allows.
- Let sit at room temperature for about one week, or until desired acidity is achieved (the longer they ferment, the more acidic they will be). Screw lid on and refrigerate. Enjoy as soon as they’re chilled!
Ann says
I love a good bahn mi. There are a couple places in Greensboro (about a 25 minute drive for us) that have them. I will definitely be making these. I love having yummy extras to add to sandwiches. (Also, I like that you put the salt in weight too. Thanks!)
Long River says
Lovely site!
and I want to add that the correct spelling is bánh mì.
Amanda says
OOOOh! My face is burning. Thanks for the catch!
Jake says
GIMME SOME DEM PIKELS
Minttea says
Just started a batch of this last night. So excited! I came to this recipe directly so I didn’t read your recent entries about not peeling the vegetables. I’ll be sure not to peel next round. But I did save the peels for stock. Would it be disturbing the process to toss some into the jar after 24 hours?
Suzanne says
Made this on Sat and it’s awesome already. Used some random peppers we had in the freezer and great heat whstever kind they were.
Amanda says
Awesome! So glad to hear you’re liking them!
Mary says
I’m mystified. The vegetables “must be submerged”, but with what liquid? Just the little bit of sweat from the salted vegetables? It doesn’t come close to covering the vegetables. What am I missing here?
Amanda says
Hi Mary,
You should have plenty of extra liquid in which to submerge the vegetables if you used the amount of salt called for in this recipe. If you still don’t, make sure to massage the vegetable mixture a bit more until you get a larger amount of liquid.
I actually JUST finished making this recipe and I had the usual, large amount of liquid in bowl, so I’m guessing the key is to squeeze a bit more.
yummyfoodrecipesindia says
Ohfoooo seems like so exciting pickle it is. Thanks for explaining the process so clearly. Surely gonna try out.
Randi says
I made it without the jalapeño. Loved it. Just bought more daikon radish so I can make another batch.
Tiffany says
Hello,
The quick pickling recipe my family uses for pickled carrots normally has a couple tablespoons of sugar in it. Would it be possible to add this to the fermented version here, for some sweetness? I wasn’t sure if it would impact their fermenting process.
Thanks for your help!
Amanda says
Adding sugar would impact the fermentation process. If you like sweet Do Chua, it’s best to add the sugar right before using/serving, since the probiotic bacteria will eat the sugar during fermentation. Added sugar can cause unpleasant texture issues.
Ann says
I made these pickles and just tried them. they taste good but are not crisp, hat is the texture supposed to be? There didn’t seem to be any spoilage but I wonder about the texture.
Amanda says
Hi Ann,
They should be crisp, but if they’re not, there could be a few culprits:
Too small pieces (this can cause limpness in sweeter vegetables)
Added sugar (just don’t, especially with carrots in the mix)
Warmer or fluctuating temps during fermentation
Too little salt
Other than the above, they should turn out crisp!
Ann says
I didn’t add sugar. I left them in a back room, not near any sources of heat but the weather has been fluctuating. I don’t think they are spoiled, I’ve had kraut get slimy and these aren’t at all like that. They are delicious anyway and I’m going to try making them again very soon.
Djea3 says
You forgot….SALT. All pickled veggies need to have between 1 and 3% salt. At 3% the veggie will be nicely crisp, however pretty much too salty to eat solo.
2% salt is pretty much to my liking and delivers a fairly crisp pickle. I have made pickles from 1.5 to 2.5 %.
At 1% the veggies will be dull….softer than most people prefer and will soften more over time.
Remember always to use a scale and add salt by weight. A baker’s scale is PERFECT for this. Tare the vessel. Add the veggies. Hit the percent sign and then add salt to the desired percent. You make brine to the same percentage for any make up liquid needed.
Always start with the FRESHEST veggies you can find. With roots such as carrot and daikon you can place them in a vessel with about1 inch of water in it. leave on the counter or in fridge and they will absorb the water and freshen themselves (especially true if they have actual roots as well.
Regular bunch radishes that still have a tap root are topped and stored arranged in a shallow container letting their roots stay in water. Crisp and Sweet and hot!
Amanda says
Hi! There is salt listed in this recipe, so I’m not totally sure what you’re referring to. Most regulations (for commercial production) call for a minimum of 2% salt for direct salting and 4% salt for brining, but this varies from place to place.
Additionally, there are traditions, both ancient and modern, that use no salt at all. Although desirable for flavor and texture, and the best option for safety, salt is not necessary for vegetable fermentation.
Evan says
Excited to make these tonight. How long should they last in the fridge? Thanks!
Amanda says
Hi Evan,
Once they’re fermented and you move them to the fridge, they should keep for a good long while (several months). If they start to get soft, they are wonderful to cook into soups or stews or blend into dips with some beans and maybe a little dairy (if that’s your vibe).
Enjoy. These are a forever favorite in my house!
Amanda