Thai Cucumber Relish/Thai Cucumber Salad

cucrelish2pAfter buying David Thompson’s inspiring Thai Food I became more serious about Thai cooking. I visit sometimes three shops to make sure I have all the necessary fresh herbs and seasoning, I discover flavours I had never dreamt of and, most of all, I make now all the curry pastes from the scratch. This change was the biggest breakthrough, since curries is what I appreciate most in Thai cuisine. With all the efforts I put into their preparation, a quick and versatile side-dish was what I seriously lacked. The recipe had to be made with the products I usually stock or can buy downstairs and I found the perfect solution in Thai Street Food, another book by David Thompson. This delicious cucumber relish/salad has an obvious Thai touch, but contains ingredients I almost constantly keep in my kitchen (and, I guess, many of those of you who cook Asian food), but, most of ll, it is perfect with every single curry I’ve made.

I found three very similar versions of cucumber relish in Thai Street Food and chose to present you the one with the shortest ingredients list. It is supposed to go with pork satay, but I’ve paired it successfully with other meats and seafood too. I have kept all the ingredients from David Thompson’s recipe, but instead of Thai vinegar, I used Japanese vinegar, slightly changed the amounts and cut down on sugar content because the brine was simply too sweet for me. Check the original recipe in David Thompson’s Thai Street Food, a fascinating and inspiring cookery book.

Preparation: about 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves two if it’s the only side-dish):

1/2 long cucumber

3 Asian shallots (I have used two European shallots instead)

1/4 fresh long red chilli

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Brine:

4 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons white sugar

salt (to taste; the author advises 1/2 teaspoon)

several tablespoons water

First prepare the brine. Combine the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Put aside and let cool.

In the meantime slice the shallots, chop finely the chilli.

Cut the cucumber in four lengthwise and then slice it.

When the brine is completely cool, combine it with the remaining ingredients and serve.

 

18 Replies to “Thai Cucumber Relish/Thai Cucumber Salad”

  1. I wonder what Asian shallots are? I know that I can always find something I don’t know about on your lovely blog. I adore Thai soups (Tom Yum is my favourite) but the curries are right up there in my favourites (particularly green curry). I have made my own curry pastes in the past but stopped because of laziness, you have once again made me want to go back to making my own. The Cucumber relish looks and sounds lovely, I know I would love it by the list of delicious ingredients. The colours are beautiful too. Very nicely done.

    1. Thank you so much, Eva, for all the compliments! Asian shallots are small, round and very violet (they look like mini red onions) and here they are often sold in Asian shops. I don’t buy them because I have a huge bag of excellent European shallots, so I use them all the time. I also used to prefer green curry all my life, but since I started to make my own pastes, now all the different red curry versions are my favourite by far.

  2. Thai cucumber salad is something that is always present with beef and chicken satay. To me, it is almost like a requirement to either as a side dish or a condiment. I love your presentation with the color of red chili peppers popping up. Thank you for sharing another one of your beautiful and flavorful creation, Sissi.

    1. Thank you so much, Ray. I must admit it’s the first time I have it (just like most Thai dishes I make… here Thai restaurants have always been very disappointing). I made it once more yesterday and I think I’ll make it every time I have a Thai dish because it’s just so convenient and good!

  3. What a delightful little side dish — a great capture too as you communicate the cooling properties of the cucumber and freshness of the herbs in your photo. I’m trying to figure out whether you have used a mild chilli here or a hot one (I’m not sure what a long red chilli refers to) — it’s interesting because in Thai cuisine you will often see the juxtaposition of not only flavors (sweet, sour, salty, spicy) but also an attempt to balance heat/heaviness with coolness/levity — the heat and depth of the satay against the coolness of veggies and fresh herbs to assist with digestion — just curious whether the intention is to keep the relish mild in contrast to the spicy satay. What a beauty and I appreciate the accessible ingredients too! (though I might be tempted to use coconut palm sugar as I always have it on hand 😉 would it give too much of a caramel flavor here do you think? ).

    1. Thank you so much, Kelly. In my Thai/Vietnamese shop they carry two types of red chillies: small (bird’s-eye and another type, a bit plumpier) and bigger (finger long). In David Thompson’s book there is also such a division between the big and small chillies, so I never ask myself what the variety is. I just use long ones. They are less hot than bird’s-eye chillies, but still hot! If I buy them from other sources than the Asian grocery, they are sometimes medium hot, but I prefer the hot ones of course 🙂 Palm sugar is advised for curries for example, but here white sugar was listed, so I never asked myself why… I’m sure any other sugar will be great of course.

  4. This is just fabulous Sissi!! I’m planting cucumbers this year and can’t wait to make this easy little relish. Shallot, coriander leaves, hot chili…it all sounds like the best ingredients to complement the flavor and crunch of sweet cucumbers. Pinned it for my homegrown cucumbers! Hope you’re having a great weekend! Oh, the chocolate is all gone. 🙂

    1. Thanks a lot, MJ. Lucky you!!!! I wish I had my own cucumbers. I’m addicted to cucumber and have it all year long…. so this will be my default side-dish with so many meals… I’m glad you like the chocolate too. You must tell me which was your favourite!

      1. The dark chocolate with the cocoa bits were awesome! I’ve already recycled the package so I can say exactly which one. I’m thinking of trying to grow 2 types of cucumber this year and see which one we like the best and which is the most prolific. Of course that is if I have enough room. My garden planning has gone to the point of trying to cram the contents of a 18 wheel shipping truck into the trunk of a VW bug. 🙂

        1. Fantastic! I’m so happy you liked this one… I wasn’t sure what to choose… many people hate such bitter and not very sweet chocolate. Then you are a fan of very dark, deep-flavoured, not too sweet chocolate, just like me! (It was actually a French organic brand which I’m crazy for since I discovered it). I can well imagine your garden in full summer. I must send you one day a photograph of my crowded balcony. It looks very funny even now.
          PS You have just reminded me I bought seeds of a Mexican cucumber!!! Do you know it??? They are supposed to be sown at the beginning of May, so this weekend will be perfect. Have never tasted it, but it looks really cute and I hope to grow it on my balcony (have already bought some bamboo sticks because it will grow high I think). My friend’s mother grows them in her Swiss garden, so maybe they’ll like my balcony too…

  5. I love cucumbers and I am very happy they will be in season very soon. This is a delicious salad and since I am on diet (again) I would eat this as a main dish!

  6. I didn’t realise this was a Thai recipe. I prepare something similar. I use lemon juice instead of vinegar, skip sugar, don’t boil the brine and marinade the cucumber for at least 30 mins. I remember once when I was small, I was sick and after eating this I immediately recovered. So a positive memory.
    I didn’t realise shallots had nationalities – Asian, European…if you use American shallot, skip the sugar because the shallot is probably full of it:)

    1. Hi, Mr. Three-Cookies. I think cucumbers with any acid liquid are quite popular all around the world (though your lemon juice sounds more sophisticated and more delicate than vinegar; I must test your method! especially since it’s healing…). What makes it Thai is coriander and fresh chilli and if you have Thai shallots, they add to the genuine character… Well, it’s funny because, even though usually when people mean “Asian” food, they exclude India, but I saw these Asian shallots in an Indian shop here too. Exactly the same I had seen at Thai/Vietnamese grocer’s.

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