Cucumber Sambal

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Mark: This one is adapted from Chris Schlesinger’s “Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys, and Chowchows”, and is a go-to summer dish in our house.

Okay, this is actually an Indonesian dish, not Caribbean. But with the combination of cool cucumber and a little hot chili, it works perfectly in a Caribbean meal. Besides that, we’ve discovered that there is a huge Asian influence present in Caribbean cooking – as evidenced by the surprisingly well-stocked Asian ingredients section in many grocery stores there. We’ve had excellent Thai, Chinese, Indonesian and Malaysian meals on several islands.

Ingredients

1 English cucumber
1-2 carrots
½ red onion
1 small fresh chili, red or green
Fresh cilantro, basil and mint - enough for about 2-3 tablespoons of each when chopped

½ cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Indonesian or Thai fermented fish sauce
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Peel the cucumber, in alternating stripes. Cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice thinly, and place in medium-sized bowl.
  2. Peel and julienne or grate the carrot, and add.
  3. Peel and finely dice the onion, and add.
  4. Mince the chili, and add.
  5. Finely chop the herbs, you should have at least ¼ to ½ cup, depending on your taste
  6. Add the rest of the ingredients, and toss to combine.
  7. Cover and let rest for at least 30 mins to let flavor develop.