Cucumber, Shrimp & Eggs
鸡蛋虾仁炒黄瓜
English: Cucumber, Shrimp & Eggs
Chinese: 鸡蛋虾仁炒黄瓜
Pinyin： jidan xiaren chao huanggua
Literal: Eggs and shrimps fried with cucumber
I’ve lived in China for ten years now, and still, cooked cucumber catches me off guard. There’s something in my Britishness that instinctively pictures it cool and crisp—layered with smoked salmon in garden party sandwiches, or sliced into bowls of salad cream. In the UK, the cucumber is more of an afterthought, a garnish than an ingredient.
But here in China, it takes on a different life. Come summer, cucumbers are tossed into soups, gently steamed, or quickly stir-fried—bringing a crisp freshness and faint grassy fragrance that’s made for the heat of July and August.
In the North, cucumbers are celebrated. Fast-growing and abundant during the short but intense growing season, they appear on every table: smashed with garlic and vinegar (拍黄瓜), tucked into spring rolls (春饼), or adding a crunch next to roast duck pancakes. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, they’re said to clear heat from the body—exactly what’s needed during Beijing’s stifling summers.
A simple stir-fry of shrimp and eggs can feel a little one-dimensional together, but add a cucumber and it brings the dish into balance, adding texture, colour and calm. A reminder that sometimes it’s the quietest ingredient that enhance the others.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
4 eggs
½ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
2 spring onion - finely chopped
½ tablespoon ginger - finely chopped
2 tablespoon dried shrimps
100g small shrimps
½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon light soy sauce
1 medium cucumber
Method
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the salt and sesame oil and whisk.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan or wok over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and let it cook undisturbed for 30 seconds to a minute—you want the base to take on a little colour. As the eggs begin to set, gently turn them with a spatula. You're aiming for something between an omelette and a scramble: large, tender pieces with no runniness. Once cooked, transfer the eggs to a plate and set aside.
Rinse the dried shrimp under cold water, then gently squeeze out the excess moisture.
If needed, add a little more oil to the wok. Add the spring onions, ginger, and dried shrimp, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the fresh shrimp and Shaoxing wine, and fry for another minute. Then add the cucumber and half the soy sauce. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, just until the cucumber softens slightly but still holds some bite.
Return the eggs to the pan, add the remaining soy sauce, and toss everything together for another 30 seconds. Serve hot.
