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You are here: Home / pickles / Mom’s Cucumber Pickles, Cooling for Spicy Foods

Mom’s Cucumber Pickles, Cooling for Spicy Foods

November 25, 2020 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

\My mom’s Malaysian cucumber pickles is such a cooling dish that complements spicy foods like curries.  Sometimes, it’s fun to serve both the cucumber pickles and Malaysian Chicken Curry street style on newspapers and banana leaves so it’s like I’m taking my friends on a trip to Malaysia.  I made a video to show you how to make this easy cucumber pickles in 5 minutes and share a secret, see below.

It’s another one of my mom’s simple dishes that’s become a staple and only has three ingredients: cucumber, tomatoes and onion and two seasonings: Celtic Sea Salt and Marukan Rice vinegar, (lime or lemon but not necessary)! Optionals are cilantro and scallions.

5 minute pickle: cucumber, tomatoes and onion and two seasonings: Celtic Sea Salt and Marukan vinegar (lime or lemon but not necessary)! Optionals are cilantro and scallions.

Best part? You can start eating them after only a few hours, not days or weeks like most pickles. This is not like dill pickles in a jar, it’s made fresh on the day you eat it. It has a sweetness and is not sour but there’s NO added sugar involved. 

What goes with these Cucumber Pickles? 
Cucumber Pickles go perfectly with my mom’s Malaysian Chicken Curry (blog) or if you prefer, watch Malaysian Chicken Curry video.

Malaysian Chicken Curry bowl

or Spicy Hoisin Spare Ribs 

Spicy Hoisin Spare Ribs

How are Cucumber Pickles cooling? 
Cucumber is yin (cool) and curry is yang (hot, energizing).  The cold cucumber pickle helps to cool your body temperature down when you are on fire from the curry. Many countries have something like this, in India, they have raita which is a cooling cucumber yoghurt. 

There’s an interesting site explaining Yin and Yang here.

How to make Cucumber Pickles in 5 minutes?
As usual, I cheat by skipping the step of adding salt to the cucumbers to draw out the moisture which make them more crunchy. Definitely do this step if you have time. Just squeeze the cucumbers and drain out all the liquid before adding to the onion and tomatoes. It’s not a good idea to make this day prior because it becomes soft and soggy. 

Make Cucumber Pickle on the morning of your dinner party.

Here’s HOW…

Chop everything into cubes so they can absorb the flavors better!
Put into nice serving bowl, add Celtic Sea Salt to taste and Marukan rice vinegar a 1/3 way up the bowl. If you have a lime or lemon, a small squirt, then toss, toss, toss! That’s it. Cover with plate or cling film and put in fridge and take out an hour before serving.
Eleanor Hoh shares secret in Youtube video.
Click for YOUTUBE link. I share how to make this 5 minute pickle and a secret!

By adding fruits like pineapple and mango, the pickle turns into a Mango Pineapple salsa! It’s very refreshing and everyone loves this version. Goes well with everything especially FISH!

Mango, Pineapple Salsa
It doesn’t matter proportion, whatever fruit you like most, add that

More interesting things about pickles…
While researching for cucumber pickles like my mom’s, the closest one I came to was this one. 

Check out this super site listing 10 countries, 10 pickles.

What about 3 Easy Pickling Options?

To this day, my sisters and I make this all the time and adore it.  Every time I serve these 5 Minute Cucumber Pickles at dinner parties, guests beg me for the recipe, ha, ha. 

If you try this 5 minute Cucumber pickle, let me know how you like it in comment below.

Even better, share on Instagram and tag @wokstar #wokstarway

Note: I started using Celtic Sea Salt a while back, they sent me some products to try. Marukan Rice Vinegar was not a partner or sponsor. I am an Amazon affiliate and will make a commission if you purchase from links.

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Filed Under: blog, pickles Tagged With: 5 minute pickles, cucumber pickles, easy pickles, pickles, pickles for curry

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