South African Cucumber Sambal

Sambals are zesty, spicy, chili-based condiments found in South African cuisine. Sambals were originally created in Indonesia and Malaysia, and brought to South Africa where they became a part of the Cape Malay cuisine. This Cucumber Sambal pairs cucumber coolness with jalapeno heat for a perfect balance. Enjoy it as a refreshing summer relish on sandwiches or paired with grilled ﬁsh.

Filed Under: African Heritage Diet, Vegetarian & Vegan Diet, Side dishes, Lunch, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Quick & Easy, Affordable, Staff Favorites

Rating

Average: 4 (1 vote)

Active time

5 minutes

Total time

1 hour 5 minutes

Yield

2 cups (4 side servings)

Ingredients

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

½ jalapeno pepper

1 teaspoon sugar or natural sweetener (honey, agave nectar, etc.)

1 (2-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 mint leaves

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, quartered and thinly sliced

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir and toss well to cover.
Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

The Sambal will store up to 4 days refrigerated in a tightly covered container.

An Oldways recipe and photo, inspired by recipes in Jessica B. Harris’ The Africa Cookbook and Marcus Samuelsson’s The Soul of a New Cuisine

Nutrition

Calories: 22
Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Sodium: 3mg
Carbohydrates: 4g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 2g
Protein: 1g

Yield: 2 cups (4 side servings)

How'd it Taste?

Tess Smith

August 03, 2019

This definitely had a kick to it! Great new use of cucumber for me. I used it as part of the sandwich recipe on this site. I think it works best paired with the puréed Lima beans in that recipe. Watch how I did mine @platesonpurpose on FB, IG, & YouTube.

Bri

November 06, 2019

Made it yesterday and it was a hit with the family. I love cucumbers so this a great and easy recipe to make year round!