Home-made Fukujinzuke (Pickled Vegetables for Japanese Curry)

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut all the daikon (200 g), lotus root (50 g), cucumber (50 g) and eggplant (50 g) into small pieces about 1 cm × 1.5 cm and 1–2 mm thick. Keep the cut eggplant separate for step 2 and reserve the other cut vegetables for step 3.

   Uses 200 g daikon (white radish) · 50 g lotus root · 50 g cucumber · 50 g eggplant

2. 2

   Step 2: Put only the cut eggplant from step 1 into enough water to cover it until you combine the vegetables in step 3, to keep it from browning. Drain before step 3.

   Uses Only the cut eggplant from step 1 · Water for briefly holding the cut eggplant, as needed; drained off

3. 3

   Step 3: Combine the reserved cut daikon, lotus root and cucumber from step 1 with all the drained eggplant from step 2 in a large bowl. Add all 20 g finely chopped ginger and sprinkle over the 1½ teaspoons salt. Mix well to coat the vegetables evenly, then leave for 15 minutes.

   Salt the vegetables · 15 minUses All reserved cut vegetables except the eggplant · drained cut eggplant · 20 g ginger, finely chopped · 1½ tsp salt, for drawing out vegetable moisture

4. 4

   Step 4: Add water to the salted vegetables from step 3, then drain. Squeeze the vegetables a handful at a time to remove as much water as possible and put all the squeezed vegetables into a saucepan.

   Uses salted chopped vegetables and ginger · Water for rinsing the salted vegetables, as needed; drained off

5. 5

   Step 5: Add all 100 ml soy sauce, 100 ml mirin, 40 ml vinegar and 40 g marinade sugar to the saucepan of squeezed vegetables from step 4. Bring the whole mixture to a boil.

   Uses squeezed vegetables and ginger · 100 ml soy sauce · 100 ml mirin · 40 ml vinegar · 40 g sugar

6. 6

   Step 6: Turn off the heat under the vegetables and marinade from step 5. Cool promptly until suitable to transfer to a food-safe resealable bag; it may still be slightly warm.

   Uses boiled vegetables in sweet soy marinade

7. 7

   Step 7: Transfer all the cooled vegetables and marinade from step 6 to the bag. Add the 5 cm × 5 cm piece of dried konbu.

   Uses cooled vegetables and marinade · 1 piece dried konbu (kelp), about 5 cm × 5 cm

8. 8

   Step 8: Press as much air as possible from the filled bag from step 7 and seal it, keeping the vegetables in contact with the marinade.

   Uses vegetables, marinade and konbu in a bag

9. 9

   Step 9: Refrigerate the sealed vegetables from step 8 for 24 hours. Drain only the amount you want to serve as a condiment with Japanese curry or rice, leaving the remaining batch refrigerated. Freeze small portions if needed.

   Refrigerate the vegetable pickles · 1440 minUses sealed vegetable pickle batch