| WEEKEND PREP : 오이 김치 |

End month weekend preps are the best because I would be super busy with a messy kitchen and a disoriented home which I wouldn't mind becuase that's the only time the boys are able to mess up the house without me saying anything. Hehehehe.

What is end month weekend preps?

It's preparing all our instant foods from scratch - we no longer buy instant(s) or ready-made food because we prefer homemade ones now.

I'll share the first Weekend Prep recipe today!

As much as I do not like to make our own kimchi because its a fussy food and takes a long time to get it done, I still make that one type of kimchi - 오이 김치! Because its so easy and so so nice to make on our own - we can make it as spicy or mild as we want.

오이 김치

Plus, you do not have to ferment it, can eat it freshly made or keep it for 3 to 4 days, else they will turn sour once they start fermenting.

So if you like cucumber and you like kimchi, here's a recipe just for you!

Like the #kbrothers always say, EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY!

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INGREDIENTS

500gm Japanese Cucumber (chopped moonshape or however you like it to be)

1/2 tbsp Sea Salt

50gms Onions (Julienne)

1/2 tbsp Sesame Seeds (for garnish)

CUCUMBER SAUCE

2tbsp Pepper Flakes

1tbsp Sugar (I skipped this though)

1tbcp Fish Sauce (Soy Sauce can too)

1tbsp Sesame Oil (not too much!)

1 1/2 tbsp Vinegar

1/2tbsp Garlic

OPTIONAL

1/2 tbsp Gojuchang (more if you want it to be spicy)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse cucumbers and chop into bite size moonshaped pieces or any shape you like, its up to your preference.

2. *Salt them and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes until water is drawn out (I normally leave it for 30 minutes to really drain out the water. Do not skip this part!).

3. Drain the cucembrs. No need to wash it, just set aside to drain.

4. Mix the cucumber sauce ingredients; peper flakes, sugar (can skip this if you want), fish sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl.

5. Add Gochujang paste (if you want it to be spicy, skip if you do not want it to be spicy).

6. Add onions and cucumber, start mixing them all together.

7. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy them fresh!

Can you see the water? This is after I drain out the first round and this is the second round of draining.

Cucumber Sauce

Mix the sauce altogether and combine it with your cucumbers. Make sure to wear gloves on and mix them by hand. In doing this, you'll be able to get the sauce in every piece!

DO NOT use bare hands without gloves to mix your kimchi! They will turn stale (trust me on this because my Mom made for me kimchi and the whole lot became stale in a few hours before I even pick them up from her place.)

Cucumber Kimchi

!!!IMPORTANT!!!

*Salt the cucumbers for 5 to 10 minutes then drain Do this properly so it won't water down the sauce later. Remember! Cucumbers have a lot of water content, so this is a crucial step. Taste it and if you find it too salty, run it in a cup of water to remove the excess salt, then drain. Otherwise, there's no need to wash it.

Hope you'll enjoy the 오이 김치 as much as I love making them!

Share with me (can tag me on my IG - @norainiazaha) if you make them and let me know how it tastes!

Assalamualaikum,

N.A