Cucumber Relish
Ajaat / Ajad / Achad
A quick sweet-sour cucumber and shallot pickle, the classic satay accompaniment
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- mild
Ajaat is the classic partner to satay, a quick pickle of cucumber and shallot in a sweet-sour vinegar syrup that cuts through the richness of grilled, marinated meat. It comes together fast — dissolve sugar and salt into hot vinegar, cool it, then toss in the vegetables for just a short rest — and the crisp, bright result works as well alongside yellow curry dishes as it does with skewers. Served cold or at room temperature, it's meant to be a refreshing contrast rather than a heavy condiment.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Cucumber (sliced thin)
- 1/4 cup Red shallots (sliced thin)
- 1-2 Thai hot chili (sliced)
- 2 tablespoons Coriander/cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup Distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Directions
- Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan until nearly boiling. Add the sugar and salt, and boil gently until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Add the cucumber, shallots, chili, and cilantro to the cooled vinegar mixture.
- Let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve well chilled or at room temperature, whichever you prefer.
Notes
Let the vinegar mixture cool fully to room temperature before adding the cucumber — pouring it in hot would soften the cucumber and shallot instead of keeping them crisp.
Substitutions
English or Persian cucumber both work well here since their thin skin doesn't need peeling.