Chinese language residence cooking is stuffed with vibrant vegetable dishes, and this cucumber and egg stir fry is an ideal instance of how primary components can develop into one thing really particular. It’s easy, refreshing, and nourishing, with simply the right combination of soppy, crunchy, and chewy textures. 

When my mother makes cucumber and egg stir fry, she likes to additional add dried lily flower buds and wooden ear mushrooms, each of that are pantry staples in my northern Chinese language kitchen. Dried lily flowers have an earthy umami style with a zesty undertone, they usually flip tender after rehydration. Wooden ear mushrooms add crunch to a dish. Each components carry taste and texture to the easy cucumber and egg stir fry, making it satisfying sufficient to function a principal dish over steamed rice.  

Why Cucumber and Egg?

Cucumber and egg may sound like an uncommon mixture when you’re used to cucumbers in salads. However in Chinese language cooking, cucumbers are sometimes stir-fried. They maintain up surprisingly effectively to the warmth, staying crisp and juicy whereas additionally turning tender. Paired with creamy scrambled eggs, they create a dish that’s mild but satisfying. It makes an ideal aspect dish and even mild principal dish over rice.

Elements

• Dried lily flower: It provides a young texture and a savory earthy umami with a zesty undertone. A quite common northern Chinese language ingredient, it really works effectively on this dish. You too can select to skip it when you don’t have it readily available.
• Dried wooden ear mushrooms: It provides a crisp, crunchy texture to the dish. You too can skip this one when you don’t have it. 
• Eggs: Don’t neglect to beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
• Aromatics – garlic and scallion: Recent aromatics infuse the oil and make the stir fry stuffed with perfume.
• Cucumber: Chinese language and English cucumber work finest. Keep away from utilizing American cucumbers.
• Gentle soy sauce: It provides savory umami and seasons the dish.
• Rooster bouillon powder: A typical ingredient in homestyle cooking, it’s usually used to switch MSG and provides your dish a direct enhance. 
• Sesame oil: It’s used as a ending oil so as to add nuttiness to the dish.

A neater model

To make a easy cucumber and egg stir fry, skip the dried lily flower and wooden ear mushrooms. Once more, I really like to make use of these dried components as a result of I’m used to consuming them in my mother’s model. The dish will style nice even with out them.

The best way to prepare dinner

The best way to minimize greens right into a diamond form

I like to chop cucumbers and carrots into diamond formed items for stir fries. It creates even bite-size items which are pleasing to the attention. 

1. Place your knife to 45 levels and slice the vegetable right into a rhombus form.
2. Place the rhombus form minimize aspect down, then additional minimize into rhombus slices. 

In comparison with greens sliced on a bias into oval shapes, the diamond form creates items that season higher and are simpler to eat. 

The best way to correctly put together dried lily flowers

Dried lily flowers require rehydration earlier than utilizing. You probably have time, it’s finest to soak them in chilly water for two to three hours to create the perfect taste. However when you’re brief on time, you can too use scorching water (not so scorching that you would be able to’t contact it) to shorten the hydrating time to fifteen to twenty minutes. Don’t use boiling water. It’s going to prepare dinner the lily flowers and they’ll lose a number of perfume. 

As soon as hydrated, verify every lily flower and take away any robust ends if wanted. You’ll be able to see from the image under, the skinnier a part of the flower (the place the flower is hooked up to the stem) could be a woody finish. Slice off and discard the robust finish to create the perfect texture. 

Cooking course of

1. Scramble the eggs. I wish to warmth up the pan actually scorching and add a beneficiant quantity of oil earlier than including the eggs. The new pan and oil will instantly puff up the eggs, making a fluffy texture with a evenly browned floor. 

2. Prepare dinner the aromatics within the oil till the garlic is pale golden. Once more, make sure that to make use of a beneficiant quantity of oil right here as a result of the carrots and lily flowers will take in a number of oil throughout cooking. The oil helps each of them have a nicer, extra tender texture with out tasting dry.

3. Prepare dinner the carrot, wooden ear mushrooms and lily flower.

4. Add the cucumber and seasoning. You solely have to briefly stir a number of instances to combine within the sauce. Cucumber cooks very quick and can overcook in a short time. You need the cucumber to only flip a bit tender however nonetheless have a crisp texture.

5. Lastly, add again the eggs and stir every part collectively. Add a splash of sesame oil to complete up the cooking. Toasted sesame oil loses perfume rapidly if cooked over excessive warmth. That’s why I all the time flip off the warmth earlier than including the sesame oil on the very finish. 

The best way to serve

Cucumber and egg stir fry is a superb aspect dish, but it surely’s fairly satisfying that you would be able to serve it with rice as a light-weight principal dish. Additionally it is considered one of our favourite dishes to serve throughout a household fashion meal for festivals and celebrations. As a result of it’s refreshing and light-weight, it balances out heavier meat and spicy dishes. 

Different scrumptious northern Chinese language dishes

Crisp cucumber and tender eggs are stir fried with easy seasonings and aromatics, elevated by dried lily flowers and wooden ear mushrooms for texture. I need to share this household recipe that makes a vegetable dish so satisfying.

• 1 handful dried lily flowers , yields 1 and 1/2 cups after rehydration (*Non-compulsory, Footnote 1)
• 12 items dried wooden ear mushrooms , yields 1 cup after rehydration (*Non-compulsory, Footnote 1)
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil) (*See footnote 2)
• 3 huge eggs , crushed with 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 scallion , thinly sliced, white and light-weight inexperienced components separated
• 1 small carrot , sliced into diamond form (*See footnote 3)
• 1 Chinese language or English cucumber , sliced into diamonds (*See footnote 3)
• 1 tablespoon mild soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon rooster bouillon powder
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Prepare dinner ModeStop your display from going darkish

• Place lily flowers and wooden ear mushrooms into two separate medium-sized bowls, and add heat water to cowl. Let rehydrate till turning tender, 20 to half-hour. Gently rinse off any grime on the floor and drain. Snip off the robust ends from the lily flowers, if wanted. Halve them if too lengthy. Reduce the wooden ear mushrooms into bite-size items. Gently pat dry with paper towels.

• Warmth 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high warmth in a big skillet or wok till scorching. Add egg and scramble it. Let the eggs prepare dinner till a number of the floor has turned golden brown. Switch to a plate.

• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the garlic and scallion whites. Stir a number of instances till aromatic.

• Add lily flowers, wooden ear mushrooms and carrot. Prepare dinner and stir for two to three minutes, till the carrot begins to show tender.

• Add cucumber. Swirl in soy sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with rooster bouillon. Instantly stir to combine effectively.

• Return cooked egg to the skillet and stir to combine effectively. Style the dish and sprinkle with further salt if wanted. Proceed stirring till all of the components are blended effectively.

• Flip off warmth. Swirl within the sesame oil and stir to combine effectively. Serve scorching over steamed rice as a principal dish or as a aspect dish.

Ingredient Substitution Information

1. Dried lily flower and wooden ear mushrooms should not must-have components in basic cucumber and egg stir fry. They’re components in my household recipe that I take pleasure in so much. Be at liberty to make use of simply considered one of them, or skip all of them collectively when you choose a less complicated dish.
2. Do use a beneficiant quantity of oil on this dish. The lily flowers and carrots absorb fairly a little bit of oil throughout cooking. If you happen to skimp on the oil, the dish will end up very dry.
3. To chop the greens into diamond form, slice on a bias about 45 levels into items which are about 1” thick. Then rotate the piece so the minimize aspect is face down. Slice throughout it into slices which are about 1/4” thick. (see my weblog submit above for detailed photos).
4. To make the dish gluten-free: use tamari to switch soy sauce.

Serving: 1serving, Energy: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 6.6g, Protein: 7g, Fats: 15.2g, Saturated Fats: 3.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 140mg, Sodium: 372mg, Potassium: 336mg, Fiber: 1.6g, Sugar: 2.8g, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to listen to the way it turned out for you! Please take a second to go away a 5-star ranking ⭐️ and share your ideas within the feedback additional down the web page. It actually helps others uncover the recipe too.

And when you snapped a photograph, don’t neglect to tag @omnivorescookbook on Instagram. I can’t wait to see your creations!