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Kohaku namasu
Pickled daikon and carrot salad
Kōhaku namasu (紅白なます): red-and-white daikon and carrot salad in sweet vinegar
Red and white are Japan's colours of celebration, and this crisp, sweet-sour salad of fine daikon and carrot shreds is the cleanser of the New Year osechi box, eaten between richer dishes from 1 to 3 January. Salting the vegetables first softens them into pliable threads that still crunch, before they soak in rice vinegar, sugar and a little yuzu. The common mistake is skipping the squeeze after salting, which leaves the salad watery and bland. Chef's tip: cut the daikon along the length of the root, not across it, so the shreds stay crisp instead of going limp.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the sweet vinegar
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp yuzu or lemon zest (optional)finely shredded
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Toss with 1 tsp salt and leave for 15 minutes, until the strands are limp and bend without snapping.
15 minStep 3: Squeeze handfuls firmly to remove as much liquid as you can.
Step 4: Stir 4 tbsp rice vinegar and 2 tbsp sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the vegetables and 1 tsp yuzu or lemon zest and mix well.
Step 5: Leave for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge, before serving cold. It keeps for 5 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 35 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kohaku namasu take?
- About 20 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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