Oriental Cucumbers Recipes

CHINESE CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• First prepare the garlic. When you've minced all of the garlic, set aside the equivalent of 1 clove.
• Mix the oil and the rest of the garlic together, and set over medium-heat in a saucepan. Cook lightly for 2-3 minutes. Some foam will appear as the water in the garlic escapes. Do not let the garlic brown! This process takes about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Chop the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and then into ½-inch chunks. Transfer to a bowl. Add the garlic oil, salt, sugar, pinch of MSG if using, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Finally, add the reserved minced raw garlic. Stir thoroughly to coat everything.
• For the best results, let sit for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld.

CHINESE PICKLED CUCUMBERS (酱黄瓜)

Steps:

• Rinse off the cucumbers and wipe them dry. Trim off both ends, and cut each cucumber into 4 equal sections. Cut each section into 6 equal-sized strips. Transfer to a bowl and add ½ teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• At the same time, make the sauce by combining 2 ½ teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon black vinegar, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon dark soy sauce, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves of garlic, and the chili peppers. Stir and make sure the sugar and salt are completed dissolved.
• Once the cucumber has marinated for 1 hour in the fridge, dump out the liquid from the bowl they were sitting in. You should be able to get rid of at least ¼ cup of liquid. Now add the prepared sauce, and mix everything well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. The cucumbers should be ready to serve the next morning with a hot bowl of congee!

SPICY ASIAN CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Place cucumbers into a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let drain at least 30 minutes. Shake off excess liquid but don't rinse the cucumbers.
• Whisk soy sauce, sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, hot chili oil, and red pepper flakes in a salad bowl. Stir in cucumbers to coat with dressing. Chill 2 to 3 hours before serving.

ASIAN CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Put the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt; set aside to drain for 1 hour.
• Whisk the vinegar and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved; add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds; stir.
• Rinse salt off the cucumber slices by running under cold water; place in a large bowl with the sliced red chile peppers. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

CHINESE SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH SESAME OIL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
• Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.
• When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.

SMASHED CHINESE CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Place the cucumbers in a resealable plastic bag. Seal and use the palm of your hand to lightly smash the cucumbers. Take the cucumbers out of the bag and cut into 1-inch chunks. Add to a bowl and season with salt. Toss to coat.
• Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and chile flakes in a medium bowl. Whisk to dissolve the sugar.
• Add the cucumbers, then toss and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.

ASIAN CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Mix 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Toss with 1 pound sliced Persian cucumbers, 2 sliced scallions, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons sliced pickled ginger, 1/2 finely chopped red jalapeno and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.

ORIENTAL CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Blend together sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper flakes.
• Stir cucumbers and onions into the mixture, and pour all into a ziploc bag, removing excess air, so salad marinates well.
• Marinate salad several hours or overnight.

CUCUMBER SALAD WITH SOY, GINGER AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Sprinkle the cucumbers with a generous amount of salt and let sit in a colander in the sink for 15 minutes. Rinse and dry on a kitchen towel. Transfer to a salad bowl.
• Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and pepper. Whisk in the sesame oil and the sunflower or grapeseed oil. Toss with the cucumbers, scallions, and cilantro. Chill until ready to serve.

ASIAN MARINATED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers & cut in half lengthwise then scrape out & discard the seeds. Cut the cucumber into slices & place into a large shallow bowl.
• Combine the rest of the ingredients & pour over the cucumber slices. Stir to coat then cover & refrigerate at least 4 hours.