Taiwanese Cucumber Salad 涼拌小黃瓜

It's been super hot in Texas! I've been keeping myself in air conditioned rooms and drinking lots of iced water and trying everything I can to not turn on the stove. This simple dish is just perfect because it involves absolutely no heating of food.

涼拌 (Mandarin: liang ban) literally means "chilled and dressed (in a dressing)," so basically any dish that is referred to as "涼拌" is a salad. This dish often appears as a small starter dish on a Taiwanese banquet table to help whet the banquet guests' appetite. My grandmother used to make it for us when she visited in the summer. It is light and crisp and refreshing during the dog days of summer.

Since this is a cucumber salad, the type of cucumber you use will make or break this dish. In Taiwan, of course, they use Taiwanese cucumbers, which can sometimes be found in Chinese supermarkets. Taiwanese cucumbers are long and thin. They have a thinner skin and a crisper texture than the regular slicer cucumbers you see in the American grocery stores. Regular slicer cucumbers are not good substitutes. Their skin is too tough and thick. They're not sweet or crisp enough. And the seeds and tough skin make them taste bitter. English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers are both better substitutes. This time, I'm using Persian cucumbers, which I found at Trader Joe's.

You will need: 6 Persian cucumbers, 1 clove of garlic, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1+1/2 Tbsp vinegar, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil.

Cut the ends off the cucumbers.

Then use the flat side of your knife's blade to smash the cucumbers until they break open. I like using my heavy duty Chinese cleaver for this. This is great for taking out any anger you may have.

All smashed up!

Cut the cucumbers into sections, about 1.5 inches long. If there are large clumps of seeds, discard them. (Persian cucumbers should be nearly seedless, but if they are too ripe, there may be seeds.)

Put the cucumber sections into a gallon-size Ziploc bag (or a large bowl).

Mince the garlic.

And throw the garlic into the Ziploc bag too.

Now, add the sugar and salt to the bag.

Zip the bag close. And shake vigorously. (Toss well if you're using a bowl.) Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Add the vinegar and sesame oil. Close and shake again. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

And you're done! Drain and serve.

It is best to eat all of this dish on the same day that it is prepared. If you must store leftovers, make sure to drain the liquid first. Then cover and refrigerate. Finish within three days.

Curry Rice 咖哩飯

Curry rice is one of my favorite dishes to cook and eat. It is super simple and easy to make and awesomely delicious and nutritious. Moms love this dish because they can pack a lot of vegetables and protein into one dish. In fact, this was one of the ways my mom tricked me into eating carrots when I was little.

Technically, curry rice is a Japanese dish (well, actually imported to Japan from India by the British -- so not exactly Japanese in origin). It is one of the remnants of the 50-year Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan (1895-1945) and very much beloved by the Taiwanese people. There are multiple Japanese curry restaurants in Taiwan, and they're always packed.

In the U.S., Japanese curry is now much more accessible to home cooks than even just five years ago. I used to have to go to the Asian market to buy pre-packaged Japanese instant curry blocks. Imagine my delight and surprise when I found out that my local Walmart carries them. There are various brands out there: Vermont Curry, Golden Curry, Kokumaro Curry. No matter what brand, they always come in three different spiciness levels -- mild, medium, or hot. Since these are catering to the Japanese palette, all three spiciness levels are generally pretty tame. Pictured below is the brand that Walmart carries and the one I'm using for this blog post, S&B Golden Curry.

My personal favorite brand actually is House Foods Vermont Curry, which has a "touch of apple and honey." It packs a full punch of flavor while being sweet and delicate. Also, in my opinion, it's not as oily as Golden Curry. I would usually pick up a few boxes when I go to the Asian market, but I haven't been in a while. And I just found that you can actually order it from Amazon, so I guess that's coming in my next Amazon order.

Now, let's get cooking.

You will need: 3 medium carrots, 3 medium russet potatoes, 1 10-oz package of mushrooms, 1 medium onion, 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, salt, black pepper (not pictured), corn starch (not pictured), olive oil (not pictured), 2 boxes of curry mix (3.5 oz) (Only one box is in the picture. I decided to add another box when I realized that one box was not enough for the amount of food and liquid I had in the pot.), and water.

Really, you can add whatever vegetables you want. I've seen people add celery, broccoli, and bell peppers to their curry. Apples work well too. Traditionally, the Japanese always have carrots and potatoes in their curry, but you can certainly take them out if you don't like them. My aunt used to cook a dish that was just cauliflower in curry sauce when we were little, and we would slurp it right up. If chicken is not your favorite protein, then use beef or pork or lamb. You're vegetarian? Then don't add meat. Seriously, this is a very customizable dish.

Caution: I was making a large portion for me and my two brothers, who are in their twenties and can
eat a lot. Plus I like to make a lot so I can pack it for lunch and still have leftovers for the next night. If this is too much for you, just cut the recipe in half.

First, we're going to prep the vegetables. Wash and peel the carrots. Then chop them into 1-inch sections.

Wash and peel the potatoes. And chop them into 1-inch cubes.

Wash the dirt off the mushrooms and slice them. (I bought the pre-sliced ones this time because they were on sale. Most of the time, I buy whole mushrooms.)

Slice the onion.

Next, we'll prep the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and put the meat into a bowl.

Season the chicken pieces with some salt and black pepper. Mix it up so all of the chicken pieces are coated with the seasoning.

Add some cornstarch.

Mix it up. Then set the chicken aside. Usually, I would cover the bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate it until I need it.

All of the prep work is now done. Get a big pot and heat up some olive oil over medium-high heat.

When the oil is heated, throw in the onion slices. Saute for a minute or so.

Then throw in the carrots. Saute for another minute.

Then throw in the mushroom slices and a pinch of salt.

Saute the vegetables until they start to soften.

Then in go the potato cubes.

Stir the veggies and potatoes a little. Then add water, just enough to cover the vegetables. I think I added too much water this time. Trust me, you would rather err on the side of adding too little water. You can always add more water later if it's not enough. If you add too much water, then your curry can end up too watery and not flavorful enough.

Cover the pot with a lid. Bring the liquid to a boil.

Now, we open the curry mix.

Notice the bottom of the packaging divides the entire block into sections.

Use these guiding lines to break up the block into sections.

Here's my pot of boiling liquid. The potatoes should be soft by now. But make sure to test it with a fork or chopstick.

Gently place the curry blocks into the liquid, one section at a time. Stir after the addition of each block. The liquid will start to change color and thicken as the blocks dissolve.

While the liquid is still boiling, take the chicken out of the refrigerator. Gently drop a few pieces of the chicken into the pot at a time. Stir after each addition.

Once all of the chicken has been added, bring the mixture back to a boil then turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the curry stew continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning. Then you're ready to eat!

Put some freshly steamed rice into a dish. Then ladle the finished curry over the rice. Make sure you get a good amount of vegetables and meat.

Tea Eggs 茶葉蛋

One of the things I miss the most about Taiwan is the prevalence of convenience stores, particularly 7-Eleven. There is literally a 7-Eleven on every street corner and one in every train station and airport. These stores really are convenient in every sense of the word. You can get snacks, drinks, cheap meals on-the-go, toiletries, cosmetics, stationary, playing cards and other games, and newspapers and magazines. You can pay your bills at your nearest 7-Eleven, and if you need to fax or make a copy of a document, the clerks at 7-Eleven will gladly help you out with that too.

A typical Taiwanese 7-Eleven

One of the most memorable parts of walking into a 7-Eleven in Taiwan is the wonderful smell of tea eggs that hit your nose. Tea egg 茶葉蛋 (Mandarin: cha ye dan) is a Chinese snack. It is made by boiling an egg, cracking the shell, then simmering it in a broth made of black tea, soy sauce, star anise, and other spices. The tea, soy sauce, and spices mingle to create a party of favors and aroma that are sure to please the senses of taste and smell. It is one of my favorite snacks, and I miss being able to buy a tea egg from 7-Eleven whenever the craving hits. To satisfy my cravings, I finally learned to make this snack at home. And it is surprisingly easy.

You will need: 8-12 eggs, 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2-3 black tea bags (the ones you use to make ice tea will be fine), 2-3 star anise, 2 tsp Chinese five spice powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp sugar, and water.

First, put the eggs into a pot and cover with water.

Cover the pot with a lid. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat and let it continue to boil for about 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

Fish the eggs out, one by one. Using the back of a spoon, crack the shell of each egg. This will create the marble effect on the surface of the finished eggs while also allowing flavor to seep in to the eggs. Put the eggs back into the water when finished cracking.

Add the soy sauce, tea bags, star anise, five spice, cinnamon, and sugar to the water. Make sure the liquid covers the eggs. If liquid level is too low, add more water.

Cover the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn the heat to low. Let simmer for at least 2 hours. The longer the eggs are simmered, the more flavorful they are.

A batch of these would last over several days. A lot of times, I would eat one as part of my breakfast, in place of a regular hard boiled egg. Usually, I boil and simmer them at least once a day until they are all eaten. The more they are simmered, the darker and more flavorful the eggs get, so the egg that tastes the best is usually the last one. If you boil them long enough, even the yolk will start absorbing some of the flavor.

Here's what an egg looks like after boiling and simmering and soaking over 5 days. Notice that it has a darker coloring than the egg in the first two pictures, which had only been boiling and simmering and soaking for one day. That coloring means flavor, y'all!

Enjoy!

Soy Sauce Braised Ground Pork Over Rice 肉燥飯

Since this is the first recipe I'm sharing with the world, I thought I would start with a classic Taiwanese dish.

肉燥飯 [Mandarin: rou zao fan / Taiwanese: bah so png] is a simple dish that is considered a comfort food by many. A Taiwanese person who is homesick would usually be missing this dish. Pretty much every Taiwanese grandmother has her own recipe that she passes down to her daughters and granddaughters. Here, I am sharing my family's recipe, given to me by my grandmother. The measurements are approximate since, like most Taiwanese home cooks, we measure ingredients with rice bowls and soup spoons.

You will need: 1 lb fatty ground pork, 6 cloves garlic, 6 shallots, 1/4 cup fried shallots, 1 tbsp cooking oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp soy paste, 10-12 lumps rock sugar, 1/4 cup rice wine, and 1/2 cup water.

Some notes about the ingredients:

• Soy paste 醬油膏 [Mandarin: jiang you gao / Taiwanese: tau iu ko] has a thicker consistency than soy sauce. It also has a sweeter flavor than regular soy sauce and is used in this recipe for the sweetness. This is definitely not something you can find in a western grocery store. I usually buy the Kimlan 金蘭 brand soy paste. Remember to refrigerate after opening.

• Rock sugar 冰糖 [Mandarin: bing tang / Taiwanese: thng sng (old Taiwanese) / ping thng (modern Taiwanese)] is used often in Chinese/Taiwanese cooking. I am not sure what it is about rock sugar, but using granulated sugar in this dish does not give the same flavor. I've tried raw sugar and brown sugar before too. They just don't measure up to the flavor that rock sugar gives. You should be able to find rock sugar in your local Chinese grocery store.

• Fried shallots 油蔥酥 [Taiwanese: iu chhang soo] or 紅蔥酥 [Mandarin: hong cong su] is exactly what its name implies. It has a flavor akin to the french fried onion rings that are used to top green bean casseroles. You can pick this up at your local Chinese grocery store.

• Rice wine 米酒 [Mandarin: mi jiu / Taiwanese: bi chiu] is the most common cooking wine used in Taiwanese cooking. Some Taiwanese rice wine used for cooking has added salt and is not for drinking. I haven't tried substituting with grape wine, and I'm not sure if I want to try. However, sherry can be used as a substitute.

Now, let's start cooking!

First, cut the garlic and shallots into thin slices.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When the wok is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the base. Don't have a wok? A large pan will do.

Add the shallots into the wok and stir-fry for about 10 seconds. Then put the garlic in too. The reason for this order is because garlic browns faster and can burn if put into the wok first.

Next, throw in the fried shallots. Your kitchen should be smelling really yummy at this point.

Now put the ground pork in too. As it cooks, break the ground pork into small pieces with your spatula.

Before the ground pork browns completely, stir in the soy sauce, soy paste, rock sugar, and rice wine.

Cover the wok. And turn the heat down to low. Let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes so the flavors can all meld together. Stir frequently. You don't want it to burn. 

This is the point when I usually transfer the pork mixture to another pot to free up my wok to cook something else.

Add some water. Replace the cover and continue to let it braise on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir it once in a while to prevent burning on the bottom. 

While the meat is braising, cook some rice.

When the meat is done, scoop a few spoons of the pork and sauce onto a bowl of white rice. Inhale the wonderful aroma of the meat and shallots and sugary soy sauce. Then it's time to dig in!

If you don't like rice, the meat and sauce are awesome on noodles too. Just cook some noodles (spaghetti or linguine will do). Boil some bok choy in the noodle cooking liquid while you're at it. Top the noodles and veggies with the meat and sauce and some chopped green onions. And now you have 肉燥麵 [Mandarin: rou zao mian / Taiwanese: ba so mi].

Any leftover can go in the fridge. I just put the cover on the pot and stick the whole pot in the refrigerator. To warm it up the next night, heat it up gently on low heat. If the liquid is low, just add some water.

I hope you enjoy this Taiwanese staple. Bon appetit!