PICKLED CUCUMBER SALAD FOR DUAN WU FESTIVAL

The Duan Wu Festival had just gone by.   This year I did not made any dumplings myself.  It is too labour intensive to do it single handledly. However, my sister together with my sister-in-law made some Nyonya-style dumplings and gave each of us some for the festival. My neighbour also gave me some.

Mini alkaline dumplings 

  

Typical Cantonese style of dumpling - with mung beans- yes I ate them dipped with sugar.  

These mini dumplings are filled with red beans- yummy eaten with gula melaka syrup or sugar.

  

As usual all the brothers and sisters came together for dinner at my eldest brother's house.

I cooked  some Potato Croquette with minced meat.

Crispy outside, soft and creamy inside.

To accompany the croquette, I also make a Pickled Cucumber Salad with Wasabi Dressing.

I tasted a Taiwanese appetizer at  DinTai Fung using black fungus and it was so refreshing. Later happened to see a similar salad being made on the TV show. As the weather is so hot nowadays, decided to make this salad as well, though be fore-warned that the wasabi dressing does pack a punch!. 

Method: 

I used the Japanese cucumber.  

1. Wash them and put them in a plastic bag.

2.  Use the cleaver to smash them to pieces- seem they taste this way

3.  Take the pieces out and wash them to get rid of the seeds (so much easier to get rid of the seeds this way!) at the same time break them into smaller pieces if necessary.

4.  Season them lightly with salt and sugar and set aside to drain out some of the juices. This also makes the cucumber crunchy.

5.  meanwhile, shred the black fungus (pre-soaked) finely and blanch it in boiling water.  Drain and set aside.

6.  slice 1 red chili (more is you like it more spicy)

7.  Drain away the juices from the cucumber and mix all the ingredients together, marinate them with some white rice vinegar (I find this way the cucumbers are more flavourful) and set aside in the fridge till required.

8. Just before serving, prepare dressing- sesame oil, wasabi, rice vinegar and sugar.  (NB. drain the vinegar from the cucumbers and use it here, adding more if necesssary) I don't have the exact measurement as I just it  taste as I go along. So it's up to your own preferences, more wasabi or more vinegar. 

8.  To serve, pour dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle some salt flakes.

Easy and deliciously light and refreshing -a nice complement to all the meaty dishes.