It’s a bit early yet, but summertime in Japan is all about delicious fresh vegetables. Cucumbers are especially popular, served chilled and maybe with some miso as dip. I usually slice them up and eat them plain, but sometimes when I feel like a change this is my fallback recipe: tataki kyuuri no toubanjian ae (beaten cucumbers with spicy miso/chili bean paste).
This is a good side dish for a bento and also makes a pretty good beer snack. It’s a super simple recipe that doesn’t even require any cutting! Kids would probably enjoy helping with the prep, but it might not suit children’s tastes since it’s a little spicy.
Ingredients:
(The amount in parentheses is how much I actually used vs the amount given in the original recipe)
– cucumber* – 1 (3)
– sesame oil – 1 TBS (1 3/4 TBS)
– su aka Japanese rice vinegar – 1/2 TBS (1 TBS)
– toubanjian aka doubanjiang, spicy miso sauce, or chili bean sauce – 1/2 tsp (1 tsp)
*Note: Japanese cucumbers are quite small and skinny, so one regular North American-sized cucumber may be the equivalent of 2-3 Japanese cucumbers
Ingredients
Instructions:
1. Wash and dry the cucumber(s). Place on a chopping board and beat with a wooden rolling pin so that cracks form (be careful not to over-beat/smash up the cucumbers).
2. Break the cucumber(s) into bite-sized (~4cm long) pieces.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients (sesame oil, Japanese rice vinegar, and chili bean paste) together in a bowl.
4. Add in the cucumbers and toss/stir well so cucumbers are evenly coated. (If you’re lazy like me, I recommend using a container with an airtight lid, so all you have to do is put on the lid and shake it all up.)
Enjoy!
dine + twine 