Here is a great vegetable summer side dish for you to try out soon! My Thai stir fried cucumber in a creamy and gooey salty homemade peanut sauce… This dish is absolutely delicious!
The hubs walked into the kitchen while I was preparing this dish for lunch that day.
And at first he thought that I was making an Indonesian gado gado salad because it does look a bit like that Indonesian delicacy.
Gado Gado
That Oriental meal salad contains ingredients such as fresh cucumber, carrots, bean sprout, and hard boiled egg. I have also seen versions of it with boiled potatoes, fried tofu and tempeh or soybean cake.
All topped off with a lovely creamy peanut sauce.
And the hubs is right, this stir fried cucumber dish below also swims in a peanut sauce which makes it look pretty similar indeed.
Peanuts
Do you like peanuts?
Salted roasted peanuts are my all time favorite snack. Peanuts are so addictive! And so is peanut butter. I love the clash between the sweetness of the sugar and the saltiness of the peanuts.
Have you made peanut sauce at home before?
Previously I used to buy this peanut sauce powder mix in my local Chinese supermarket. All I had to do was add hot water to it.
However after I tried to make peanut sauce at home one day, I have ditched the store bought version and always make some from scratch now.
Satay Sauce
Another family favorite here at home: classic chicken satay with peanut sauce!
The hubs loves that cucumber and peanut flavor combination.
So he wasn’t disappointed when I put this funky fresh side salad on our dinner table! I served it with a couple of fillets of leftover grilled fish from last night’s dinner.
Easy Stir Fried Cucumber with Peanut Sauce
Are you looking for more fresh and easy cucumber salad recipes like this one for lunch?
Then you should also check out my Greek tzatziki recipe! I am sure that you are very familiar with this mediterranean grated cucumber, yogurt and mint dip…
Enjoy!
Easy Stir Fried Cucumber with Peanut Sauce Recipe
Here's my Thai stir fried cucumber covered in a creamy homemade peanut sauce... Delicious!
- fresh cucumber
- 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup chicken stock (80 ml)
- ⅓ cup coconut milk (80 ml)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- garlic powder
- fresh red chili
- 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- caster sugar
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Rinse the cucumber and slice it in half. Then chop both halves up into bite-size bits. Pour the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan or wok and place it over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cucumber. Quickly stir fry the cucumber for 2 minutes. Then take the pan off the heat and add the lime juice, the fish sauce and a pinch of sugar and garlic powder.
- Stir well. Then add the red chili and the freshly chopped cilantro and mint.
- Stir the cucumber well again. Then pour the cucumber in a large bowl and let it chill and marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes. Stir regularly. Right before serving, add the peanut butter and chicken stock or coconut milk to a wok or non-stick pan and place it over medium heat.
- Stir well until the peanut butter falls apart. Then add the coconut milk and stir the sauce until it is creamy and slightly runny.
- Transfer the cold marinated cucumber (without the remaining marinade) to a serving dish and drizzle with the warm peanut sauce. Garnish with extra cilantro and mint. Serve immediately.
Indonesian Gado Gado Salad
What I love the most about this Indonesian gado gado salad then?
Well definitely the delicious homemade peanut sauce on top because that’s for me the star of this dish! Nope, this one here is not anywhere near the classic Thai satay sauce.
Apart from some Asian condiment such as chili sauce, palm sugar, tamarind and oyster sauce you only need salted peanuts and hot water. That’s it, that’s all. Nothing else you need to put this tasty peanut dressing together.
So this is what a gado gado salad is.
Lunch
Boiled and/or blanched vegetables, boiled eggs and peanut sauce. Other elements that are also added quite often to this salad: tofu and deep-fried krupuk crackers.
This is a typical Indonesian dish and a great lunch salad! If you want to make it vegetarian, just leave out the oyster sauce or replace it with vegan soy sauce.
Do you love Indonesian cuisine?
Then also check out my beef rendang recipe!
Enjoy!
- 2 oz fresh cucumber 55 g
- 2 oz cooked potatoes 55 g, cold
- 1 small fresh tomato
- 2 oz green beans 55 g, blanched
- 2 oz fresh carrot 55 g, grated
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- a handful bean sprouts
- 4 tbsp homemade peanut sauce
- 1 tbsp salted peanuts crushed
1) Chop the blanched green beans, cucumber, the cooked potatoes and the small tomato up into bite-size pieces. Add all this to a large mixing bowl.
2) Then stir the vegetable well. Chop up the bean sprouts as well and add them to the bowl too.
3) Stir the salad well again. Then divide the vegetable salad over deep plates. Peel the hard-boiled egg, slice it on half and add it to the salad. Top with the homemade peanut sauce. Sprinkle with the crushed peanuts. Serve at room temperature.
