This salad is found throughout Southeast Asia. It’s a great dish for entertaining since it must marinate for at least an hour before being served and can sit for a couple of hours after that.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1/2 cup rice or white vinegar

　　One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated

　　3 tablespoons sugar

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　2 large cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded (page 169), and sliced

　　3 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　1 onion, sliced

　　1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (page 596)

　　

Step 1

Mix together the vinegar, ginger, sugar, and salt and toss with the cucumbers. Let stand for at least 1 hour (if it’s a warm day, and you’re going to marinate for more than an hour, refrigerate). Drain off the excess liquid.

　　

Step 2

Just before serving, put the oil in a skillet and turn the heat to medium; a minute later, add the onion and turmeric. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir this mixture into the cucumbers, garnish with the sesame seeds, and serve.

　　

Spicy Cucumber Salad

Step 3

In step 2, add 2 stemmed and minced small green chiles, preferably Thai, and 10 whole peppercorns to the skillet with the onion. The peppercorns will become fragrant and brown slightly. You do not need to remove them from the pan—they are delicious—but your guests should be forewarned.

　　

Cucumber Tofu Salad

Step 4

In step 2, press the water from an 8-ounce block of firm tofu (see page 491). Brown it on both sides in the oil in a nonstick skillet, then remove and cook the onion. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch strips and add to the salad.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.