Chilled Cucumber Salad

Recipe for Asian style chilled cucumber salad. Din Tai Fung style chilled cucumber salad with chilli garlic oil. Perfect first course for a meal. Recipe with step by step pictures.

I really like a good Asian style chilled cucumber salad. Its the common Chinese chilled cucumber salad made with chilli oil and garlic. I make it all the time at home. I even eat it as a meal sometimes. Even though I don’t get Persian cucumbers here in Bangalore, it works perfectly well with the local cucumbers / English cucumbers. Here is my favorite cucumber salad from Din Tai Fung. If you happen to be in Singapore, Hong Kong etc…. do visit this place. Its one of my favorite restaurants.

This recipe is traditionally made with Persian cucumbers. But here in Bangalore where I live, Persian cucumbers are very hard to come by. So I use English cucumbers and they work well too. Choose small ones so they are less seedy. I like to have the skin on the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers into slightly thick pieces (about half centimetre) and add it to a bowl. Add in the salt, mix well and set aside.

Take a small pan and heat the oil along with chilli flakes and minced garlic. Saute on a low flame till its aromatic. Set aside. Let it cool a bit.

Add in the sugar and the vinegar to the cucumber. Also add in the chilli oil.

Mix everything well to combine. I like to use my hands to mix. Chill everything for 2-3 hours and serve cold.

Serve cold as a first course.

• 2 cups sliced cucumbers (preferably persian cucumbers)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable oil)
• 2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Slice the cucumbers into slightly thick pieces (about half centimetre) and add it to a bowl. Add in the salt, mix well and set aside.
2. Take a small pan and heat the oil along with chilli flakes and minced garlic. Saute on a low flame till its aromatic. Set aside. Let it cool a bit.
3. Add in the sugar and the vinegar to the cucumber. Also add in the chilli oil.
4. Mix everything well to combine. I like to use my hands to mix. Chill everything for 2-3 hours and serve cold.
5. Serve cold as a first course.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 2 mins
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Asian

• 2 cups sliced cucumbers (preferably persian cucumbers)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable oil)
• 2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Slice the cucumbers into slightly thick pieces (about half centimetre) and add it to a bowl. Add in the salt, mix well and set aside.
2. Take a small pan and heat the oil along with chilli flakes and minced garlic. Saute on a low flame till its aromatic. Set aside. Let it cool a bit.
3. Add in the sugar and the vinegar to the cucumber. Also add in the chilli oil.
4. Mix everything well to combine. I like to use my hands to mix. Chill everything for 2-3 hours and serve cold.
5. Serve cold as a first course.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 2 mins
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Asian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/chilled-cucumber-salad/

Recipe for manathakkali vatha kuzhambu. Spicy Tamil style vathal kuzhambu / kara kuzhambu recipe made without coconut. A popular side dish for lunch in Tamilnadu. மணத்தக்காளி வத்தல் குழம்பு செய்வது எப்படி? | மணத்தக்காளி வத்தல் குழம்பு செய்முறை | மணத்தக்காளி வத்தல் கார குழம்பு. Manathakkali vathakuzhambu recipe with step by step pictures and video

Click the link below to find the recipes on the site that uses the main ingredient as Manathakkali Manathakkali recipes

Here is the video of Manathakkali vathakuzhambu recipe.

Here are some of the equipment, utensils and gadgets that will be useful for making this recipe. Click the link to buy them online. Dried Manathakkali berries is also called as black night shade. Its easily available in Indian grocery stores or online. Polypropylene Chopping Board Teakwood Chopping Board Silicone Spatula High-End Nakiri Knife Glass Mixing Bowls (500 ml) Glass Mixing Bowl Stainless Steel Frying Pan Carbon Steel Knife Measuring Spoons Indian Mixie Frying Pan with wooden handle

Here is how to make manathakkali vatha kuzhambu with step by step with pictures First, we will fry the manathakkali. Take a pan and add in three tablespoon of oil. Add in the manathakkali and saute on a low flame for a minute. The berries will puff up and start to change colour. Remove from heat and set aside to a bowl along with the oil left.

Now, we will make a fresh masala paste for the vatha kuzhambu. Here is what you will need. Use very little fenugreek seeds as they are very bitter. Also, you can skip adding the garlic in masala paste if you do not want a strong garlic flavour in the vatha kuzhambu.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in all the ingredients for the masala paste. Saute on a very low flame for 3-4 minutes. Sauteing on a low flame is important as you do not want to burn the lentils. Sauteing on a low flame nicely roasts and browns the ingredients.

Grind the roasted ingredients along with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Soak a gooseberry size tamarind (about two inch strip) in a cup of water for 20 minutes. Squeeze and extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Set aside.

Now we will make the manathakkali vatha kuzhambu. Heat peanut oil / sesame oil in a pan (Be generous with oil) and add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the garlic. Saute for a minute.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the masala powders and the jaggery. Note: If you cannot source kuzhambu milagai thool / powder, you can substitute sambar powder or curry powder. “Kuzhambu milagai thool” is a curry powder used in Tamil households and can be sourced from a south Indian grocery store. If you dont have “kuzhambu milagai thool”, use store bought curry powder or sambar powder. Let the curry simmer for five minutes. Here is a link to buy kuzhambu milagai thool online.

Saute the masalas for a minute.

Add in the tamarind pulp.

Add in the ground masala paste. Wash the mixie with half a cup of water and add back to the pan. Add in a cup of water too. Let it come to a boil.

Add in the manathakkali along with the oil and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes on a low flame.

The manathakkali vatha kuzhambu is ready after it has simmered for 20 minutes.

Serve hot with rice. The kuzhambu tastes best the next day!

For frying manathakkali vathal

• 3 tablespoon peanut oil or gingely oil (sesame oil)
• ¼ cup dried manathakkali vathal

For the masala paste for manathakkali vatha kuzhambu

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil or gingely oil (sesame oil)
• 4 dried red chillies
• 5 - 6 fenugreek seeds
• 6 - 7 cloves garlic (optional)
• 2 teaspoon chana dal
• 1 teaspoon urad dal
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper corn
• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves

Other ingredients – manathakkali vatha kuzhambu

• Gooseberry size tamarind
• 3 tablespoon peanut oil or gingely oil (sesame oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (use less if you want a less spicy curry)
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon jaggery
• 2 teaspoon kuzhambu milagai thool
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
• ½ teaspoon salt (see notes)

1. Take a pan and add in three tablespoon of oil. Add in the manathakkali and saute on a low flame for a minute. The berries will puff up and start to change colour. Remove from heat and set aside to a bowl along with the oil left.
2. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in all the ingredients for the masala paste. Saute on a very low flame for 3-4 minutes. Sauteing on a low flame is important as you do not want to burn the lentils. Sauteing on a low flame nicely roasts and browns the ingredients.
3. Grind the roasted ingredients along with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.
4. Soak a gooseberry size tamarind (about two inch strip) in a cup of water for 20 minutes. Squeeze and extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Set aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan (Be generous with oil) and add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the garlic. Saute for a minute.
6. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt saute for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add in the masala powders and the jaggery. Saute the masalas for a minute.
8. Add in the tamarind pulp.
9. Add in the ground masala paste. Wash the mixie with half a cup of water and add back to the pan. Add in a cup of water too. Let it come to a boil.
10. Add in the manathakkali along with the oil and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes on a low flame.
11. The kuzhambu is ready after it has simmered for 20 minutes.
12. Serve hot with rice. The kuzhambu tastes best the next day!

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu