Japanese Cucumber Salad With Passionfruit Dressing

Sorry...looks like I have been on a salad binge of late.  Too much of korean influence I guess. This Ajumma is hooked on side dish.  Beside kimchi, I have been trying out many light and easy side dishes to go with the meat dishes. As you know I have a meat eater at home...I have been pigging myself with meat too :p  I have to whip up appetizing sides to have a well balanced diet everyday. Saw this recipe in one cookbook and I knew I have to try this recipe out and if it is as good as it looks, it will be added on my side-dish menu for sure :)  And guess what.. we love it! The fragrant of the passionfruit dressing on those already juicy cucumber slices...gosh, it is the perfect dressing for a cucumber salad. So refreshing ,light and easy !  A keeper for sure.   

easy to whip up salad.....

passionfruit and lemon juice and sugar to make the dressing

for the japanese cucumber salad

this is so very good...rich in vitamin C

Japanese Cucumber Salad With Passionfruit Dressing

3 japanese cucumber - wash clean, with skin on, cut into thin slices,
1/2 tsp salt

passionfruit dressing

3 ripe passionfruits-  use all the pulps
1/2 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of lemon juice -optional

To make dressing - mix together the passionfruit pulps with the lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl and let it rest for 10 mins .

Preparation:

1.Cut cucumber into thin slices - rub salt over cucumber and leave it for 3 mins. After 3 mins, give it a light squeeze to remove excess water.  Place the cucumber slices on a salad bowl.  Spoon the passionfruit dressing over the cucumber slices before serving.

Enjoy !

Spicy Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi ( Oisobagi kimchi 오이소박이 김치 )

One thing I love about Jaya Grocer is they have things I like which I can't get anywhere else. Imported Australia beef - grain fed..very tender and which are great for my korean dishes :p  Herbs and baking stuff like aluminium free baking powder which I can't get from my usual baking shop. Ok, sorry I have digress again...back on track on this delicious, mouth watering spicy stuffed cucumber kimchi.  I bought 2 packs of mini cucumber from Jaya Grocer ( now you know why my mind trails back to Jaya Grocer that deserved a mention in my blog )  This is not a advertisement post.

I am a great fan of Maangchi and I love most of her recipes and today I am sharing her mouth watering flavor packed side dish or banchan as it is called in Korea - Oisobagi Kimchi which means Spicy Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi. This is a keeper and I can't wait to share with you .... appetizing and easy to make.  A healthy side dish which even my meat eater at home loves it and asked me to make more.  I made a batch and kept them in air tight container, serving them as side dish at every dinner meal.  Try it to believe me :) After a week in the fridge, the cucumbers are still crunchy and the flavors deepen even more...a delightful side dish.

mini cucumbers from Jaya Grocer..fresh and cheap

the stuffings for the mini cucumbers

toasted sesame seeds, while still hot, press hard on the seeds

to release the oil to make it more aromatic

it is fun to stuff the cucumber

I can eat many at one go...so addictive !

this side dish is a keeper...healthy and delicious

Spicy Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi - Maangchi

ingredients:

4 4½ inch long mini cucumbers
2 tbsp salt
1 cup Asian chives - cut into 1/2 inch length
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 medium carrots - cut into thin matchsticks - about 1 cup
1 cup of onions- sliced thinly
1/2 cup hot chilli flakes
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method:

1.Wash the cucumbers. Make pockets out of them by slicing them twice lengthwise at right angles, ½ inch from one end so the cucumber quarters are still connected to each other at the end.

2.Put them in a big bowl, and sprinkle and rub them with salt inside and out. Let them sit for 10 minutes on the kitchen counter, and then turn them over so they’re evenly salted. Then turn them over and let them sit another 10 minutes.

3.Rinse the cucumbers in cold water a couple of times to remove excess salt. Drain and set aside.

4.Combine buchu (Asian chives), carrot, hot pepper flakes, fish sauce, sugar, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

5.Stuff the seasoning paste into the cucumber pockets. If you have sensitive skin, you can wear rubber gloves for this because the paste might irritate your hands.

6.Serve immediately as a side dish for rice, and keep the leftovers in the refrigerator. If you prefer it to be fermented a bit more, let the container sit at room temperature for a couple of days until it smells and tastes sour. Then put it into the fridge. Serve cold.