Ajad – Thai cucumber salad as a side dish

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 cucumber(s)
• 2 chili peppers, red, long
• 5 shallots (Thai)
• 50 g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 60 ml water
• 125 ml rice vinegar
• some coriander leaves to taste

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 minutes; Total time approx. 12 minutes

or also Ajaad, Ajat, Ah Jaht, Ar-Jad, Achat

Simmer the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt for about 2 minutes. Cool and season to taste. The sauce should taste sweet and sour. Quarter the cucumber, peeling only a few strips (leaving some of the peel for color), lengthwise, remove the seeds, and finely slice. Thinly slice the peeled shallots. Slice the chilies into thin rings. If you like, add some chopped coriander. The ingredients for the relish are only combined shortly before serving. The cucumber and shallot slices should be just covered by the dressing. Traditionally, this relish is served with dishes that lack a sour component, such as gaeng gari (“yellow” curry), fish or shrimp cakes, satay, kanom pang (pan-fried toast filled with shrimp or pork, for example), and it can also be served with Massaman curry. A similar relish can also be made with carrots.