Saturday, July 3, 2010

Stir Fried Cucumber With Prawns 黃瓜炒蝦球




Cucumber in a stir fry might sound strange to most people but you might change your mind once you have tried it. Like many others from the gourd family, cucumber is delicious in stir fries and soups often fresh or dried seafood is used to bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetable. This is just another of those humble home cooked meals that I crave so often when I am missing home.
P.S I apologise for the rather bad photos. 



serves 2 to 3 as part of a Chinese meal
you'll need;
2 continental or 6 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
250 g of medium prawns*, peeled
2 garlic cloves, chopped
dash of oyster sauce
dash of soy
dash of rice vinegar
salt and white pepper to taste
* I used crystal bay prawns again, they are extremely salty for a reason so do rinse them properly beforehand.



Prepare the cucumber - I first peeled the cucumbers using a normal peeler, later I used a corrugated peeler to create the lovely patterns.



Have all the ingredients ready.



Saute garlic and prawns with a little oil , remove and set a side.



Add cucumber slices to the same wok, fry for 5 minutes then return the prawns to the wok. Add seasonings and continue to cook til cucumber is tender.


Serve immediately as part of a Chinese meal.

19 comments:

  1. hi my dear Tummy..are you sure ini cucumber?it looks like petola to me...selalunya makcik masak sup dengan cucumber.thank you kerana berkongsi resepi yang menarik ini..pasti akan mencubanya:)

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  2. Never had cucumber in stir fries before... looks very tasty!

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  3. this is one dish I often cook, usually I use Japanese cucumber and add little fresh red chili shredded.

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  4. cucumber stir fry..how refreshing! Definitely going to give this a try!

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  5. They look like bitter gourd to me too Tummy! I was about to ask if it's cucumber, then how did you get that patterns on it?

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  6. makcikmanggis ,
    Salam makcik, ni memang timun, continental cucumber sekaki panjangnya :) Masak sup juga enak tapi disini susah dapat timun tua :(

    Tricia F,
    Thank you! Give it a try!

    Sonia,
    Oh a liitle chili could be good!

    CW ,
    Thank you please do!

    Quinn ,
    It is continental cucumber. I used a corrugated peeler to create the pattern after peeling it with a normal peeler :)
    There is a picture of the peeler in my green papaya salad post.

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  7. Oh I have never thought of frying cucumbers! I want to try it sometime!

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  8. Interesting as cucumber is normally eaten as fresh! Looks very elegant and good for summer, indeed :)

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  9. Harriet from CarltonJuly 3, 2010 at 6:31 PM

    Never thought of using cucumber in stir fries or soup. Another must try!
    I want to try the nyonya chicken, what coconut milk should I get? Can I use turmeric powder? If so how much?

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  10. gosh!! superb!!!.. i love to try these... its so easy and looks healthy too :)

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  11. Wow it looks so simple too! This is the second dish I've seen recently that has cooked the cucumber, otherwise I never would of thought to do that! I love the way that you prepared them too...dressed them up a little! I'll give it a try!

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  12. The patterns are so cool. I thought it was celery at first. Never fried cucumber before although I have pickled it. I also like stir-fried cos lettuce (hubby looks at me strangely when I suggest it!). This is definitely a must-try.

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  13. My mum used to cook this but with dried shrimps. It's a reminder that I've not had this dish for a long, long time!

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  14. I love stirfried cucumber- I good friend introduced this concept to me a few years ago and since then I have enjoyed adding it to meals or soups!

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  15. Totally new to me...never had a cooked cucumber.

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  16. I love bitter gourd. Especially when it is prepared well.

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  17. Such a beautiful stir fry,very new for me..

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  18. those appear to be Armenian cucumbers. i know because i've got two vines of them in my backyard that are growing out of control. i've been searching for creative ways to cook with them. looks good.

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