Si Ji Ru Chun

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

Cucumber starter:

• 1 cucumber
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ve-tsin

Potato starter:

• 6 largish potatoes
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
• 1 tsp chilli oil
• 1/2 tsp ve-tsin

Tomato starter:

• 6 largish tomatoes
• 2 tsp sugar

Chinese cabbage starter:

• 1 Chinese cabbage
• 4 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ve-tsin

Preparation

Cucumber starter:

1. Peel the cucumbers, then cut into pieces app. 4 cm (1.5 in) in length. Cut each piece vertically into 6 or 8 wedges.
2. Mix the other ingredients thoroughly, then add them to the cucumber pieces in a salad bowl. Make sure that the cucumber pieces pick up the soy sauce and spices mixture.

Potato starter:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into matchstick-thin pieces. The easiest way to to this is to cut them into lengthwise slices of app. 4 mm (1/8 in) first, then cut the slices lengthwise again into matchsticks.
2. Boil the potato matchsticks briefly, for 2-3 minutes. They should no longer be completely raw, but still very firm. Drain the potatoes.
3. Mix the other ingredients thoroughly, then add them to the potato matchsticks in a salad bowl. Make sure that the potatoes pick up the soy sauce and spices mixture.

Note: This is a fairly hot dish. If desired, reduce the amount of chilli oil or add some extra sugar to make it less hot.

Tomato starter:

1. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, then add the sugar and mix.

Chinese cabbage starter:

1. Wash the cabbage, remove the bitter core, then cut into smaller pieces, app. 4 cm (1.5 in) in length.
2. Mix the other ingredients thoroughly, then add them to the cabbage in a salad bowl. Make sure that the cabbage picks up the spices mixture.

	Copyright © 1999-2000 Anne-Wil Harzing and Ron van der Wal. All rights reserved. Legal notices and colophon. This page was last modified on 7-11-99 19:03