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Shiro Dashi Pickled Cucumbers served on a plate.
Shiro Dashi Pickled Cucumbers
Prep Time
5 mins
Pickling Time
1 d
Total Time
1 d 5 mins
 

This is a delicious pickled dish with a great deal of umami added to the pickling liquid. The addition of sesame oil brings the flavour up to the next level.

Serve them by cutting them into bite-size pieces or serve a whole cucumber on a stick like an ice pop as served at izakaya and festival stalls (see the photo in post).

Recipe Type: Appetiser, Side
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: pickled cucumbers, tsukemono
Serves: 8 as a side
Author: Yumiko
Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)
  • 4 Lebanese cucumbers (350-400g / 0.8-0.9lb, note 1)
  • tbsp shiro dashi (note 2)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp dried red chilli sliced (note 3)
Instructions
  1. Remove both ends of cucumbers.
  2. Using a peeler, peel the skin of the cucumbers vertically 4 times, rotating the cucumber 90 degrees so that you will have green and white vertical stripes (see the photo in post).
  3. Cut each cucumber in half to make two half-length cucumbers (optional).

  4. Put the cucumbers in a zip lock bag, add all the remaining ingredients to the bag and massage the bag, ensuring that all cucumbers are coated with the marinade.
  5. Remove the air from the bag as much as possible and seal.
  6. Place the bag in a plastic container (in case the bag leaks) and chill for minimum 3 hours, preferably 24 hours.
To Serve
  1. Use 'rangiri' (roll cutting) method or cut each cucumber into thick discs (about 2cm thick) and serve.

  2. Alternatively, poke a wooden chopstick from one end of the cucumber and push it through the centre of the whole cucumber piece. The cucumber looks like an ice pop – cucumber pop! This is how some izakaya and festival stalls sell it. (see the photo in the post)

Recipe Notes

1. Lebanese cucumber is called Persian cucumber in other countries. You can also use other types of thin cucumbers such as Japanese cucumbers (their skin is not tough).

2. You can either use home-made shiro dashi or store-bought shiro dashi.

3. Two teaspoons of sliced chilies give a hint of spiciness to the marinated cucumbers. You can adjust the quantity to suit to your palate.

4. Nutrition per serving. It assumes that 60% of salt and sesame oil is consumed.

serving: 57g calories: 27kcal fat: 1.2g (2%) saturated fat: 0.2g (1%) trans fat: 0.0g polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g monounsaturated fat: 0.5g cholesterol: 0.3mg (0%) sodium: 183mg (8%) potassium: 79mg (2%) carbohydrates: 2.9g (1%) dietary fibre: 0.3g (1%) sugar: 1.7g protein: 0.5g vitamin a: 1% vitamin c: 2.4% calcium: 0.7% iron: 0.9%