This sweet and sour cucumber dish comes from Indonesian cuisine and is delicious with a vegetarian rice table, but you can pull this simple vegetable dish out of the fridge much more often. How about a few slices on a veggie hotdog sandwich, a tempeh sandwich, (veggie) chicken or on a cosy platter at a barbecue. We get an instant appetite at the writing. This side dish is definitely sustainable too, as pickling allows you to keep the cucumber in the fridge for weeks. Selamat Makan!
Atjar keti moen, an easy dish with cucumber
Atjar keti moen is a traditional Indonesian side dish, in which thin slices of cucumber are pickled in a sweet and sour marinade of vinegar, sugar and spices. This dish is loved not only for its fresh and tangy flavour, but also for its long shelf life. Pickling ensures that the cucumbers keep for weeks, making this dish extra durable.
A cucumber, natural vinegar, a weck jar and some spices. That's all you need for this freshest side dish: sweet and sour cucumber (atjar-keti-moen).
Which cucumber is more sustainable?
When choosing the most sustainable cucumber in the supermarket, there are a few things to consider. Cucumbers are in themselves a sustainable choice, especially as they are often grown locally and use little energy in production. You'll often find Dutch cucumbers on the shelves, which minimises the environmental impact of transport. But there are still some differences. For instance, you often find organic cucumbers wrapped in plastic, while non-organic varieties usually come without packaging. This begs the question: which one is more sustainable? While the plastic around the organic cucumber may seem unnecessary, it is important to know that growing organic cucumbers is often less harmful to the environment. Less use of pesticides and fertilisers ensures healthier soil and biodiversity. Therefore, despite the plastic packaging, the organic cucumber is usually the more sustainable choice.
Interesting fact: organic vegetables must be clearly labelled as organic. This is why organic cucumbers are often wrapped in plastic, despite seeming paradoxical.
Sweet and sour cucumber: atjar keti moen
Kitchenware
- large weckpot or empty jam jar(make sure you have a large pot)
- cutting board
- knife
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 1 red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 el sugar
- 1 fluorescent salt
- vinegar
- water
- optional 2 cloves of garlic
- optional red chili for extra zest and other spices
Instructions
- Cut the cucumber into thin slices.
- Put the cucumbers in the pot.
- Cut the onion into half rings and add them to the pot.
- Add salt and sugar.
- Fill the pot about halfway with a mixture of water and vinegar (same distribution). Make sure the cucumber are submerged. It is important to leave space, as the amount of liquid rises when macerating.
- Add a generous tablespoon of sambal (and any spices) and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Now put your cucumber dish in the fridge for four hours. After that, you can enjoy this delicious side dish for weeks.
More recipe tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also from Indonesia and also so tasty is this vegan rendang.
- An insane dessert is this sticky rice mango.
- Or how about This vegan plate of satay.
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
