10-Minute Sweet-Sour Pickled Radish (Kuai Shou Yan Luo Bo)

The story

Chinese home cooks keep a jar of quick pickles going at all times; this 10-minute version is eaten the same day, with rice and anything rich. Crunchy, cold, sweet-sour, slightly spicy — the thing that makes a simple dinner feel complete.

Ingredients (5 + pantry staples)

• Daikon radish — 1 lb / 450 g, half-mooned thin
• Rice vinegar — 3 tbsp
• Sugar — 2 tbsp
• Salt — 1 tsp (for salting, doesn't count as pantry here!)
• Dried chili flakes (optional) — 1 tsp

Steps

1. Toss daikon with the salt; rest 10 minutes while you cook something else. Squeeze out the water.
2. Stir vinegar and sugar until dissolved, add chili flakes.
3. Pour over the radish. Marinate at least 10 minutes; keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Swaps

Same brine works on cucumbers, carrots and cabbage shreds. Half daikon + half carrot looks great.