Kohaku Namasu [Simple Pickled Vegetables]

Kohaku-namasu (紅白なます) is made of radish and carrot strips and pickled in sweetened vinegar for hours or overnight before serving. It is one of the traditional Japanese new year dishes (osechi ryori) served on new year day. The combination of red and white colours in namasu symbolise good luck for the new year.

This is an easy recipe, the hardest part I guess would be cutting carrot and radish into thin and uniform strips. The pickled vegetables can be kept refrigerator for a week, some sesame oil can be drizzled over the pickle just before serving if desired.

Recipe source: Chef's Armoury Blog

Ingredients:
1 large carrot
15cm radish (daikon)
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp premade liquid dashi stock

Methods:

1. Cut carrot and radish into 2-inch strips, rub with salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Rinse and squeeze out any liquid, transfer into a clean bowl.
2. For dressing, mix together vinegar, sugar and dashi stock in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour dressing over the vegetables and marinate for few hours or overnight in the fridge.
4. Before serving, drain the vegetables well and serve as a side dish.