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Fast and tasty
Fried cucumbers

Fried Cucumbers

Amazingly good, quick, and easy — perfect for any day! Fried cucumbers taste a lot like young sautéed zucchini. They're a great way to shake up a meatless menu, and they're light enough for anyone watching their waistline.

Pearl

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Cucumbers

400

Garlic

Sesame seeds

Salt

Chili pepper

Vegetable oil (or slightly more)

Soy sauce (to taste)

Cornstarch

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 10 % 2 g

Fats 40 % 8 g

Carbohydrates 50 % 10 g

108 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

How do you fry cucumbers? Gather all the ingredients listed in the recipe. I recommend fresh cucumbers with thin, non-bitter skin. Wash the cucumbers and herbs and pat them dry with paper towels.
Step 2:

Cut the cucumbers into slices that aren't too thick, as shown in the photo. I leave the peel on; if yours is too tough or bitter, go ahead and cut it off — just make sure the slices still hold together.
Step 3:

Put the slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt — not much, just a couple of pinches. Toss gently and let them sit for 20–30 minutes. The salt pulls out excess moisture that would otherwise get in the way of frying.
Step 4:

Meanwhile, peel a couple of garlic cloves, rinse them, and cut each lengthwise into 4–6 pieces.
Step 5:

Gently squeeze the excess moisture from the cucumbers — careful not to break the slices — and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Step 6:

Dredge the cucumber slices in cornstarch. You can use potato starch instead, or skip this step entirely — but in my experience the starch makes for a more interesting dish.
Step 7:

Heat vegetable or olive oil in a skillet (I used more than the recipe calls for). Add the garlic and let it fry. As soon as it turns lightly golden, fish it out with a fork or teaspoon and set it aside in a small dish. The oil is now infused with garlic flavor, so you're ready for the next step.
Step 8:

Add the cucumbers to the skillet. Fry over high heat until golden.
Step 9:

Then flip each slice and let it fry until done.
Step 10:

Pour the soy sauce into the skillet. Mine is very salty, so I used a scant tablespoon. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and stir.
Step 11:

Next, add chili pepper if you like, adjusting the amount to taste depending on how spicy you want the finished dish. Leave it on the stove until the sauce reduces to the consistency you want. Finely chop the cooled garlic and add it back to the cucumbers.
Step 12:

Sprinkle the finished cucumbers with finely chopped fresh herbs. Dill or young green onions are perfect.
Step 13:

That's it — ready to serve!

Fried cucumbers are delicious both hot and cold. They round out any meat or potato dish. Enjoy!
Since everyone's tolerance for salt, sweetness, bitterness, spice, acidity, and heat is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste. And if you're using a seasoning for the first time, remember that some are especially easy to overdo (chili pepper, for one).
Keep in mind that soy sauce is fairly salty. Cut back on the total salt, or you risk over-salting the dish.
Fry in an oil with a high smoke point! Every oil is good only up to a certain temperature — its smoke point, beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds, including carcinogens. Unrefined oils, with few exceptions, have a low smoke point: they're full of unfiltered particles that scorch quickly. Refined oils stand up to heat better and have a higher smoke point. If you're cooking in the oven, in a skillet, or on the grill, make sure you use a high-smoke-point oil. The most common ones are refined sunflower, olive, and grapeseed oil.