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You are here: Home / All Recipes / Cucumber and Mushroom Stir Fry

Cucumber and Mushroom Stir Fry

Connie Veneracion
Yes, cucumber can be stir fried! Sprinkle with salt, rinse and drain to remove excess water before cooking this delicious vegan cucumber and mushroom stir fry.
Don’t let the meagre amount of ingredients fool you into thinking that this vegan dish couldn’t be flavorful at all! It is very tasty and highly aromatic too.
And, for added aroma and texture, a bit of toasted sesame seeds go a long way.
Cucumber and Mushroom Stir Fry
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large large cucumbers
  • 1 tablespoon rock salt plus more to complete the dish
  • 6 to 8 shiitake see notes after the recipe
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 generous pinch ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine I used mirin
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Optionally, peel the cucumbers. Cut off the both ends and discard.
  • Halve the cucumbers and scrape off the seeds with a teaspoon.
    Prepping and salting cucumber for a stir fry
  • Cut the deseeded cucumber halves into half inch slices.
  • Dump the cucumber slices into a bowl and sprinkle with a tablespoon of rock salt. Toss well. Leave to soak while you prep the mushrooms and garlic.
  • Cut off the mushroom stems and discard. Cut the caps into slices or quarters. What the shape should be is entirely up to you.
    Dicing shiitake and mincing garlic
  • Peel the garlic, smash and chop.
  • Rinse the cucumber slices well and drain. Optionally, pass through a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible.
  • Heat the sesame seed oil in a wok or frying pan.
  • Throw in the mushrooms and sprinkle with about a quarter teaspoon of salt and pepper. Stir fry for about two minutes.
    Adding rice wine to Cucumber and Mushroom Stir Fry
  • Add the cucumber slices and garlic. Stir fry for a minute.
  • Pour in the rice wine. Continue stir frying until the there’s very little liquid left in the wok or frying pan.
    Cucumber and Mushroom Stir Fry in Carbon Steel Wok
  • Transfer the shiitake and cucumber stir fry to a platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Notes

If using dried shiitake, soak in warm water for 20 minutes or longer to rehydrate before cutting. The exact soaking time depends on the size of the mushrooms, specifically, the thickness of the caps.
This cucumber and mushroom stir fry is based on a recipe from NHK World-Japan.
Updated from a recipe originally published in 9/11/2018
Keyword Mushrooms, Stir Fry
Looking for Filipino food?Visit CASA Veneracion for modern twists on favorite classics!

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