Quick Japanese Pickled Cucumber with Ginger (Tsukemono)

Step 1

First, peel the skin off 20 g ginger root and cut it into thin strips (julienne).

Step 2

Cut 1 dried red chili pepper into thin slices.

Step 3

Wash 300 g Japanese cucumber and sprinkle a chopping board with 1 tsp salt. Roll each cucumber in the salt.

Step 4

Wash off the salt and dry the cucumber. (If you're using English cucumber, cut it in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.)

Step 5

Smash the cucumber with something sturdy like a heavy glass cup or rolling pin. Crush/break it slightly, but not too much.

Step 6

Roughly cut the cucumber into bitesize pieces.

Step 7

Place the cucumber in a sealable bag with the ginger and chili, then add the 1 tsp sea salt, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil.

Step 8

Massage the ingredients into the cucumber to evenly distribute them.

Step 9

Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour. (For best results, overnight.)

Step 10

Sprinkle with 1 pinch toasted white sesame seeds upon serving.

Step 11

Enjoy!