A simple salad for which you only need two kinds of vegetables – carrot and white radish (daikon). With its sweet-sour taste this salad is perfect as a side dish.
White Radish in Japanese Cuisine
In Japan, white radish is known as Daikon. In Japanese cuisine, white radish is used quite often, especially in soups and stews in combination. You can easily combine daikon with other vegetables, or with meat and tofu. Pickled radish is also popular.
Raw daikon can be really spicy but after cooking, it softens and the spicy taste disappears. Its taste is quite specific, especially after cooking, and it may not suit everyone. When it is cooked in soups or stews, it absorbs very well the aromas and seasonings that you use during cooking, but its specific taste remains. And also the aroma. Well, let’s be honest a lot of people would say daikon stinks.
How to Prepare Carrot and White Radish Salad?
The preparation is really simple. You can make the salad in a few minutes. I recommend not skipping the sesame oil and sesame seeds. They will give a nice nutty taste. And If you don’t use them, we would have to rename the salad. Really. This salad is almost completely identical to another dish called Namasu which is traditionally prepared for the New Year. It is also made from carrots and white radish. But namasu has less carrots, more daikon, and it is not seasoned with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
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Carrot Daikon Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 140 g carrot
- 140 g daikon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Peel and grate the carrot and white radish. Add salt and give it a good massage with your hands so they release more flavour.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the sesame seeds until golden brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn them, as they will taste bitter. Look at their color and feel the smell while toasting. When they are almost ready, they will start to crackle and jump out of the pan and they wil become fragrant. Transfer seeds to a mortar and grind them.
- Add vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, crushed seeds to the grated vegetables and mix.
Itadakimasu! [itadakimas]
