Crispy Stuffed Cucumbers (Oi Sobagi)
How to Make Crispy Oi Sobagi That Stays Crunchy: Creating the Perfect Seasoning
Cucumbers are currently inexpensive, tender, and delicious, so I decided to make them into Oi Sobagi (stuffed cucumbers)!
For Brining the Cucumbers- 5 Baekdadagi cucumbers
- 1/2 cup coarse salt
- 1 liter water
For the Stuffing- 20g chives
- 1/2 carrot
- 1/4 onion
- 20g chives
- 1/2 carrot
- 1/4 onion
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Gently wash the cucumbers under running water. Avoid scrubbing too hard with coarse salt or peeling too much skin, as this can make them mushy. Using a vegetable brush to lightly scrub away dirt is the best approach.
Step 2
Depending on their size, cut the cucumbers into 3 or 4 equal lengths.
Step 3
Take each cut piece of cucumber and make a cross-shaped slit from one end, leaving about 1 cm uncut at the base. This creates pockets for the stuffing.
Step 4
In a large pot, combine 1 liter of water and 1/2 cup of coarse salt. Bring this mixture to a boil. Boiling the salt water helps the cucumbers stay crispier when brined.
Step 5
Once the salt water boils, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly until it’s warm to the touch (not hot). Add the cut cucumbers to the warm brine and let them pickle for about 30 minutes. It’s a good idea to turn the cucumbers over halfway through to ensure even brining.
Step 6
After brining, rinse the cucumbers gently under cold running water to remove excess salt. Place the cucumbers on a colander with the slit side facing down, ensuring they don’t overlap. Let them drain for about 30 minutes to remove excess water. Draining well prevents the pickles from becoming watery and allows the seasoning to penetrate better.
Step 7
Finely chop the chives into approximately 1cm pieces. The fresh aroma of chives will enhance the flavor of the Oi Sobagi.
Step 8
Finely mince the carrot. This adds a pleasant texture and subtle sweetness to the stuffing.
Step 9
Mince the onion to a similar size as the carrot. The onion’s sweetness contributes to the overall umami of the seasoning.
Step 10
In a bowl, combine the red pepper flakes, sugar, fish sauce, salted shrimp (minced if necessary), minced garlic, minced ginger, plum extract, and toasted sesame seeds. Mix these ingredients well to create the seasoning paste. Add the chopped chives, carrots, and onions to the seasoning paste. Gently mix everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated. Avoid overmixing, as this can release too much liquid from the vegetables.
Step 11
Add the drained cucumbers to the seasoned vegetable mixture. Gently toss to coat the cucumbers evenly with the seasoning. Ensure some of the seasoning gets into the slits.
Step 12
Now, take each cucumber and carefully stuff the cross-shaped slits with the seasoned filling. It’s best to fill them meticulously rather than mixing everything in at once. This ensures the filling is evenly distributed and prevents excess seasoning.
Step 13
Arrange the stuffed cucumbers neatly in a container. Your delicious and crunchy Oi Sobagi is ready! For the best flavor, let it ferment at room temperature for about a day before refrigerating. Enjoy!
