Shared by Rose Benjamin
Shared by Rose Benjamin
Nana’s Zalata (Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad)
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 15 minutes
Nana’s Zalata (Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad)
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 15 minutesFamily Journey
BaghdadBombay (present-day Mumbai)Singapore
Sydney
“My family's Shabbat meals would be incomplete without this quick-pickled side dish by Nana,” says Rose Benjamin. Leftovers of this spicy, pickled zalata, or cucumber salad with chilies, can be kept in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Read more about Rose Benjamin and her family in “The Flavors of Iraq, India, and Singapore Meet in This Jewish Kitchen” and try her recipes for red snapper arouk, beef rendang, and Singaporean chicken rice.
Ingredients
- 6 large English cucumbers, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, stems removed and finely chopped
- 2 fresh red chillies, such as Cayenne Pepper or Bird’s Eye Chilies, finely diced
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Preparation
Step 1
Mix the cucumber slices in a bowl with salt and marinate for an hour to extract the excess water from the cucumber. This also helps remove the bitterness.
Step 2
Transfer the slices to a colander to drain the liquid. Using your hands, squeeze the slices tightly to get rid of any excess liquid. Do this twice to get the cucumber as dry as possible.
Step 3
Place in a mixing bowl, adding the chillies, coriander, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly, and as always, taste a piece and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
