Oi Sobagi / Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

Asian Cuisine, Comfort Food, Health Benefits, Salads, Sides

Oi Sobagi / Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

June 3, 2024

Temperatures have been hitting above 30ºC (86ºF) in South East Asia and everyone is feeling the heat!

In times or days, weeks and months of extreme heat, high humidity and you don’t fee like eating anything other than light snacks or meals. What do you turn to?? Salads? Soups?

My choices would be to add refreshing sides like pickles (love them!) that help to cut down the ‘fats’ on meats or relishes / salsa.

Different countries, different cultures, all with their unique sides for every season and occasion.

My adoption, is partly Korean mostly Asian and also based on what is on the shelves in the supermarkets. The heat has made many farmers harvest their produce earlier and in recent weeks, I have seen more small (babies) cucumber on the shelves.

This is great as Cucumbers have great health benefits besides being a favourite vegetable? of mine from a very young age. Cucumber with salt is still a go to when I feel the heat. Too much, though, is not great. Moderation. Everything in moderate amounts.

Oi Sobagi/Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

Servings: 4 persons
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Ingredients :

500g small cucumbers

Brine:

2 tablespoon coarse sea salt

water

Stuffing:

100g chives

1/4 cup shredded radish

2 tablespoon chilli flakes

2 tablespoon dried shrimp

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoon sugar

Method:

Dissolve the salt in water. Water amount depends on the size of basin/container that you are going to use to brine the cucumbers. (Note: it’s ok if not all the salt has dissolved before soaking)
Add cucumbers and weigh them down with a plate or something that is able to prevent the cucumbers from floating.
Allow to soak for at least 4 hours
Cut the chives into small pieces (about 1/4″ or 5mm)
Mince the garlic
Chop the dried shrimp as fine as you are able to. Mind those fingers.
Mix all the ingredients for stuffing in a mixing bowl. Use gloves if needed.
Remove cucumbers from the brine. Cut the cucumbers along the lengths. Leave about 2cm (1″) UNCUT at the end.
Flip the cucumbers and cut along the other side of the length. You will have 4 ‘pillars’ on the cucumber.
To start stuffing, prepare a container to store the cucumbers, preferrably with a lid.
Watch the video on How to Stuff Cucumber Kimchi
Your dish is ready to eat on Day 1. Please do leave the cucumbers in the container (lid on) at room temperature for at least a day before storing in the fridge. It will keep for up to 2 weeks or more.