🥔 SIDE
Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish)
Thin slices of cucumber, shallot and red chilli in a clear sweet-sour vinegar syrup, the crisp, cooling relish served beside satay, fish cakes and Massaman curry.
Thai · easy · serves 4
prep 10 min · cook 5 min · plus 15 min hands-off time
~124 cal · 1g protein · 31g carbs · 0g fat · 1g fiber · 28g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Ajad (also spelled ajaad or achat) is the small bowl of sweet and sour cucumber that comes with satay in Thailand. It is a quick pickle rather than a salad: sliced cucumber, shallot and chilli sit in a syrup of vinegar and sugar with a pinch of salt, and are ready to eat about fifteen minutes later.
Its job is balance. Satay with rich peanut sauce, fried fish cakes and Thai pork toast all come with ajad on the side, and it is served with coconut-rich curries such as Massaman and yellow curry too, the crisp cucumber and sharp vinegar cutting through the fat. Thai cooks will tell you that satay without ajad is not complete.
Some versions add coriander leaves, and some cut the cucumber in thin half-moons, others in chunkier pieces. The syrup is heated just long enough to dissolve the sugar and then cooled, so the vegetables stay raw and crunchy.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, optional
Instructions
- 1Put the vinegar, sugar, salt and water in a small pan and heat gently, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear. Do not let it reduce. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely.✎ Chef’s noteThe syrup must be cool before it meets the cucumber, or the slices soften and lose their crunch.
- 2Put the cucumber, shallots and chilli in a serving bowl.
- 3Pour the cooled syrup over the vegetables, stir gently and leave for about 15 minutes to take on the flavour.
- 4Scatter with coriander leaves and serve at room temperature beside satay, fish cakes or a rich curry. It is best eaten the same day.
Thai street-food and home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Bangkok (Central). Bangkok's canal-side kitchens fire basil, chili, and fish sauce into the night, from boat noodles to green curry and mango sticky rice. Central Thai cooking balances sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in every bite.
🗺️
Thailand. Thai cooking chases the balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter in every dish, from fragrant coconut curries to fiery som tam salads and stir-fries fired in a screaming-hot wok. Fish sauce, lime, chili, and fresh herbs give it its unmistakable brightness.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Thailand
Pad Krapow Gai (Holy Basil Chicken)Bangkok's favorite one-plate meal: fiery minced chicken and holy basil over rice with a crispy fried egg.
Khao SoiChiang Mai’s coconut-curry noodles: soft egg noodles in golden broth, crowned with a crispy noodle nest.
Massaman CurryA mild, aromatic curry of beef, potatoes, and peanuts scented with cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise, Thailand’s gentlest, most fragrant curry.
Browse all Thailand recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Thailand meal
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Mango Sticky RiceDessert
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish)?
Thin slices of cucumber, shallot and red chilli in a clear sweet-sour vinegar syrup, the crisp, cooling relish served beside satay, fish cakes and Massaman curry.
Where does Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish) come from?
Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish) is a Thai dish from Bangkok (Central), Thailand.
Can Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish) take to make?
About 30 min in all: 10 minutes prep and 5 minutes cooking, plus 15 min of hands-off waiting the method needs, serving 4.
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