Thai Achat Cucumber Relish

Name: Thai Achat Cucumber Relish
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: ½ cup (120 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar; ¼ cup (60 ml) water; 3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt; 12 ounces (340 g) Persian or Japanese cucumbers (about 4 small), halved lengthwise, then sliced into ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons; 2 medium (70 g) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings; 2 medium (20 g) red Thai or Fresno chilies, thinly sliced into rings, seeds kept for more heat or removed for less; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons (18 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Achat is the cool, sweet-tart cucumber relish served alongside Thai satay and fish cakes. Crisp cucumber, shallot and fresh red chili sit in a lightly sweetened rice vinegar brine, finished with cilantro. It takes 15 minutes of work and tastes best after a short rest.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 3 min
Wait: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 8 min
Makes: About 3 cups (8 servings as a side relish)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the brine
½ cup (120 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup (60 ml) water
3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt
For the relish
12 ounces (340 g) Persian or Japanese cucumbers (about 4 small), halved lengthwise, then sliced into ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons
2 medium (70 g) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
2 medium (20 g) red Thai or Fresno chilies, thinly sliced into rings, seeds kept for more heat or removed for less
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons (18 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)

Equipment (5)

Small saucepan (1-quart / 1 liter)
Medium mixing bowl
Sharp knife and cutting board
Measuring cups and spoons
Airtight glass jar or container (1-quart / 1 liter)

Steps

Before you start

Chill the cucumbers if you can; cold cucumbers stay crunchier.
The brine must cool completely before it touches the vegetables, which takes about 30 minutes. Start it first.
Wear gloves or wash your hands well after cutting the chilies, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
Choose Persian or Japanese cucumbers, or peel and seed English cucumbers, so the relish isn't watery.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Halve the cucumbers lengthwise and slice into ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons.
- Slice the shallots into thin rings and the chilies into thin rings.
- Place the cucumber, shallot and chili in a medium heatproof bowl.
- Keep the cilantro and peanuts aside.
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Ready when: Slices are uniform and thin enough to bend slightly.
Tip: Uniform slices pickle evenly and stay crisp.
2
Dissolve the brine
- In a small saucepan combine the rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt.
- Warm over medium heat, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes just until the sugar and salt fully dissolve.
- Do not let it boil hard.
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Ready when: The liquid is clear with no visible sugar grains and just steaming.
Tip: Boiling reduces the vinegar and makes the brine too sharp.
3
Cool the brine
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- For faster cooling, set the pan in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: The side of the pan feels neutral or cool to the touch.
Tip: Warm brine turns cucumbers soft and dull green.
4
Combine and toss
- Pour the cooled brine over the cucumber, shallot and chili.
- Toss gently with a spoon for 30 seconds so every slice is coated.
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Ready when: The vegetables are mostly submerged or glistening in the brine.
5
Rest to pickle
- Let the relish stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway.
- Then taste a cucumber slice: it should be lightly sweet, tangy and still crunchy.
- If you want it sharper, add another ½ teaspoon vinegar; if sweeter, add ½ teaspoon sugar and stir until dissolved.
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Ready when: Cucumbers look slightly translucent and taste seasoned through.
Tip: For a deeper flavor, chill it up to 2 hours, but serve within 24 hours for best crunch.
6
Finish and serve
- Stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Spoon the relish with some brine into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts if using.
- Serve cool with satay, fish cakes, grilled meats or fried rice.
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Ready when: Cilantro is evenly distributed and bright green.
Tip: Add cilantro and peanuts just before serving so they stay fresh and crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Don't skip cooling the brine; it is the key to crunchy cucumbers.
Use unseasoned rice vinegar; seasoned versions already contain sugar and salt and will throw off the balance.
For a thicker, less watery relish, scoop it with a slotted spoon when serving.
Keep the seeds in the chilies for a hotter relish, or remove them for a gentler heat.

Make ahead

"Make the brine up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Slice the vegetables up to 4 hours ahead and keep them chilled. Combine and rest within 2 hours of serving, and add the cilantro and peanuts at the last minute."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: in an airtight container for up to 3 days, with the cucumbers gradually softening after day 1. Not suitable for freezing. Serve cold; no reheating needed."

Substitutions

unseasoned rice vinegar → white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar. Use the same amount and reduce the sugar slightly; these are sharper than rice vinegar.
red Thai or Fresno chilies → jalapeño. Milder; use 1 medium jalapeño, thinly sliced.
shallots → red onion. Use ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced; rinse with cold water to soften the bite.
fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems → fresh mint. Gives a cooler, fresher flavor; use the same amount.