Cucumber Pickles Recipe

Cucumber Pickles Recipe

(Malaysian Recipes)

1 cucumber, peeled and coarsely shredded

8 shallots, peeled and sliced

1.5-cm knob ginger, peeled and shredded

1 red chilies, diagonally sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic flakes, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons cooking oil

8 dried chilies, soaked and ground

a pinch of ground turmeric (serbuk kunyit)

Ingredients to be combined:

2 tablespoons tomato sauce (ketchup)

½ tablespoon water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 dessertspoon vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

Method:

Into a mixing bowl, put cucumbers, shallots, ginger and chilies.  Mix well with salt.  Wrap mixed vegetables with a piece of fine muslin cloth.  Place a heavy weight on top and leave overnight.  On cooking day, vegetables should be very crisp because water has since drained away.  Transfer vegetables from cloth to a bowl and stir in garlic flakes.  Set aside.  Heat oil in a kuali or wok.  Fry ground chilies and ground turmeric for 3 minutes, then add combined ingredients.  When liquid reaches the boil, add crisp mixed vegetables.  Stir-fry to mix well for 1 minute.  Serve as an accompaniment to Nasi Minyak (see more Malaysian Recipes below).  If you have forgotten to prepare the vegetables overnight, remove vegetable juice by lightly squeezing them using a piece of muslin cloth instead.  Garlic flakes are available in most Chinese sundry shops.