SAUTÉED CHILI CUCUMBERS

Recipes:

Yield 2 servings as sides

INGREDIENTS :

250g Japanese or Persian cucumbers
2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1½ tsp rice bran or other neutral oil

For the Chili Sauce

1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)*
4 tsp warm water
2 tsp rice vinegar
½ tsp vegan cane or palm sugar
½ tsp kosher salt 

Garnishes

Pinch of black or white sesame seeds
1 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 bird’s eye chili, de-seeded and thinly sliced 

PREPARATION

Chop off and discard the ends of the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers into chunks on the bias, rotating the cucumbers as you slice them at an angle. Keep the cucumbers fairly chunky. 

To prepare the chili sauce, mix all of the ingredients in a small glass or measuring bowl until the sugar dissolves and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium-high. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the cucumbers and sauce and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes. Once the cucumbers are tender and have a slight coating of sauce, remove from the pan. Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro and chili. Serve warm or cold with rice, noodles or congee and your preferred protein. Enjoy!