Comfort Cooking

Covid-19 stay-home recipe: Spicy salad to whet your appetite

At a loss as to what to cook tonight? Fret not. In this daily series, STFood Online Editor Hedy Khoo features nourishing recipes you can whip up during the circuit breaker period

SPICY ENOKI AND CUCUMBER SALAD ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO

It may sound strange to eat something spicy to whet your appetite given the hot and humid weather. But I find that this north-eastern Chinese spicy cold dish of enoki mushroom and cucumber does its job as an appetiser.

A chef friend introduced me to the dish at a north-eastern Chinese eatery last year.

He says the dish helps to perk up his appetite whenever he is not in the mood to eat after a day of labour in the hot kitchen.

It is an easy salad to prepare and does not require you to fire up the stove.

For my homemade version, I use Lao Gan Ma xiang la jiang (chilli sauce).

Lao Gan Ma, which is Chinese for "old godmother", is a brand known for its spicy condiments.

The beauty of making this at home is you can adjust the seasoning to suit your preference.

If you cannot get hold of Lao Gan Ma, you can make a simpler version by using red finger chilli or chilli padi.

Or skip the chilli entirely if you want a non-spicy version.

Lao Gan Ma xiang la jiang is salty on its own. If you are not using it, I suggest using a little light soya sauce instead.

You can also replace white vinegar with black rice vinegar.

At some north-eastern Chinese eateries, they take pride in serving the dish with aged black rice vinegar.

The difference is a matter of preference.

Given the current circuit breaker period, it is also a matter of what you have on hand if you intend to try out this dish.

If you want to prepare the dish a few hours ahead of your mealtime, keep the seasoning sauce separate from the enoki and cucumber. This prevents the vegetables from going soggy in the dressing.

Mix in the seasoning just before serving.


SPICY ENOKI AND CUCUMBER SALAD

INGREDIENTS

1.4 litres of water, divided

200g enoki mushrooms, roots removed

8 cubes of ice

Pinch of salt (for boiling the enoki)

1 Japanese cucumber, sliced into 0.5cm-thick strips

3 cloves of garlic (15g), finely chopped

10g fresh coriander, cut into 3cm pieces

SEASONING

3 to 4 Tbs Lao Gan Ma xiang la jiang (spicy chilli sauce)

2 Tbs sesame oil

2 Tbs white rice vinegar

1 flat tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Bring 800ml of water to a boil in a pot over medium heat.

2. Pour remaining water into a bowl and add ice.

3. Add a pinch of salt into the hot water.

4. Place enoki in the pot and boil for 30 seconds, then remove from pot. Drain and place enoki in the iced water for 30 seconds. Drain excess water.

5. Place enoki, cucumber and garlic in a bowl.

6. In a small bowl, mix the Lao Gan Ma xiang la jiang, sesame oil, white rice vinegar, sugar and salt.

7. Pour the seasoning over the enoki and cucumber. Toss.

8. Garnish with coriander then serve.

Serves two

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 06, 2020, with the headline Comfort Cooking: Spicy salad to whet your appetite . Subscribe