How to make Asian style pickled cucumber

This is blog post on how to make Asian style pickled cucumber. This recipe uses mainly store cupboard ingredients. This means as long as you have cucumber and some garlic you good to make this recipe. This recipe is not at all from my home recipe. But it was rather I found a liking to it taste after making it a few times. I initial first discovered this recipe when looking at Chinese recipes written by one of the telly chefs.

In Thailand and in South Asia pickles are made in a similar way but in a slightly different style. This recipe uses sugar instead of palm sugar. There is also chilli bean paste which is a very much a key ingredient in Chinese cuisine.

This recipe is great to serve as a side dish accompaniment to a rice and meat dish. It’s a great side dish as the vinegar effect creates an appetising and taste to any dish. Great idea for adding more flavours to a dish.

I have use chilli bean paste from the brand called Lee Kum Kee. It can be bought from some big supermarkets online and also from Asian grocers. This paste can be used to flavour other types of meat, fish or vegetable dishes. I have used it to flavour aubergine, prawn and mushroom stir fry.

Recipe for 4 person as a side dish

How to make Asian style pickled cucumber

1 medium size cucumber

3 cloves garlic

2-3 cm ginger (optional)

1 tablespoon of chilli bean paste

1 tablespoon sesame oil

One tablespoon white rice vinegar

Pickled cucumber

Here is how to make pickled cucumber using chilli bean paste.

• 1 medium cucumber
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 cm ginger
• 1 tbsp chilli bean paste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

1. Wash the cucumber cut and chop the cucumber into 1 cm size cubes. Peel and chop the garlic cloves finely.

   In a bowl add the cucumber and garlic together. Plus add the grated ginger if use. Then add the rest of the sauces, oil and all. Let it to marinated for at least 10 minutes in the fridge. Yes it is possible to it there and then. However if it's left in the fridge it just allows the flavours to bind and infuse together.

   It goes well with plain boiled rice. Here is a link on how to cook rice using rice cooker.

Side Dish

Chinese

Asian recipe

1 teaspoon sugar (caster or granulated)

1 teaspoon soya sauce.

Method

Wash the cucumber cut and chop the cucumber into 1 cm size cubes. Peel and chop the garlic cloves finely.

In a bowl add the cucumber and garlic together. Plus add the grated ginger if use. Then add the rest of the sauces, oil and all. Let it to marinated for at least 10 minutes in the fridge. Yes it is possible to it there and then. However if it’s left in the fridge it just allows the flavours to bind and infuse together.

It goes well with plain boiled rice. Here is a link on how to cook rice using rice cooker.