Northern Chinese cucumber and egg stir fry

Chinese home cooking is full of vibrant vegetable dishes, and this cucumber and egg stir fry is a perfect example of how basic ingredients can become something truly special. It’s simple, refreshing, and nourishing, with just the right mix of soft, crunchy, and chewy textures. 

When my mom makes cucumber and egg stir fry, she likes to further add dried lily flower buds and wood ear mushrooms, both of which are pantry staples in my northern Chinese kitchen. Dried lily flowers have an earthy umami taste with a zesty undertone, and they turn tender after rehydration. Wood ear mushrooms add crunch to a dish. Both ingredients bring flavor and texture to the simple cucumber and egg stir fry, making it satisfying enough to serve as a main dish over steamed rice.  

Why Cucumber and Egg?

Cucumber and egg might sound like an unusual combination if you’re used to cucumbers in salads. But in Chinese cooking, cucumbers are often stir-fried. They hold up surprisingly well to the heat, staying crisp and juicy while also turning tender. Paired with creamy scrambled eggs, they create a dish that’s light yet satisfying. It makes a perfect side dish or even light main dish over rice.

Ingredients

Ingredients for making cucumber and egg stir fry
  • Dried lily flower: It adds a tender texture and a savory earthy umami with a zesty undertone. A very common northern Chinese ingredient, it works well in this dish. You can also choose to skip it if you don’t have it on hand.
  • Dried wood ear mushrooms: It adds a crisp, crunchy texture to the dish. You can also skip this one if you don’t have it. 
  • Eggs: Don’t forget to beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
  • Aromatics – garlic and scallion: Fresh aromatics infuse the oil and make the stir fry full of fragrance.
  • Cucumber: Chinese and English cucumber work best. Avoid using American cucumbers.
  • Light soy sauce: It adds savory umami and seasons the dish.
  • Chicken bouillon powder: A common ingredient in homestyle cooking, it’s often used to replace MSG and gives your dish an immediate boost. 
  • Sesame oil: It is used as a finishing oil to add nuttiness to the dish.

Choose the right cucumber

If you can shop at an Asian market, definitely try to get Chinese cucumber (sometimes also called Japanese cucumber) for this dish. They look similar to English cucumbers (see the picture below), but look a little skinnier and darker in color, with a bumpier surface. Both Chinese and English cucumbers contain less moisture than American cucumbers. Having less moisture makes the Chinese and English varieties more suitable for stir fries. And Chinese cucumbers are even denser than English cucumbers, so they can withstand high heat even better. Both have thin skin that’s edible. It’s important to keep the skin on so the cucumber holds its shape during cooking.

Chinese cucumber and English cucumber
The top two cucumbers are Chinese cucumbers, and the bottom one is English cucumber

An easier version

To make a simple cucumber and egg stir fry, skip the dried lily flower and wood ear mushrooms. Again, I love to use these dried ingredients because I am used to eating them in my mom’s version. The dish will taste great even without them.

Cucumber and egg stir fry cooked in a wok

How to cook

How to cut vegetables into a diamond shape

I like to cut cucumbers and carrots into diamond shaped pieces for stir fries. It creates even bite-size pieces that are pleasing to the eye. 

  1. Position your knife to 45 degrees and slice the vegetable into a rhombus shape.
  2. Place the rhombus shape cut side down, then further cut into rhombus slices. 
How to cut cucumber into diamond shape

Compared to vegetables sliced on a bias into oval shapes, the diamond shape creates pieces that season better and are easier to eat. 

How to properly prepare dried lily flowers

Dried lily flowers require rehydration before using. If you have time, it’s best to soak them in cold water for 2 to 3 hours to create the best flavor. But if you’re short on time, you can also use hot water (not so hot that you can’t touch it) to shorten the hydrating time to 15 to 20 minutes. Do not use boiling water. It will cook the lily flowers and they will lose a lot of fragrance. 

Dried lily flowers

Once hydrated, check each lily flower and remove any tough ends if needed. You can see from the picture below, the skinnier part of the flower (where the flower is attached to the stem) might be a woody end. Slice off and discard the tough end to create the best texture. 

Rehydrated dried lily flowers

Cooking process

  1. Scramble the eggs. I like to heat up the pan really hot and add a generous amount of oil before adding the eggs. The hot pan and oil will immediately puff up the eggs, creating a fluffy texture with a lightly browned surface. 
Scramble eggs in a wok
  1. Cook the aromatics in the oil until the garlic is pale golden. Again, make sure to use a generous amount of oil here because the carrots and lily flowers will absorb a lot of oil during cooking. The oil helps both of them have a nicer, more tender texture without tasting dry.
Saute aromatics
  1. Cook the carrot, wood ear mushrooms and lily flower.
Cook carrot, wood ear mushrooms and lily flowers
  1. Add the cucumber and seasoning. You only need to briefly stir a few times to mix in the sauce. Cucumber cooks very fast and will overcook very quickly. You want the cucumber to just turn a little tender but still have a crisp texture.
Cook cucumber
  1. Finally, add back the eggs and stir everything together. Add a splash of sesame oil to finish up the cooking. Toasted sesame oil loses fragrance quickly if cooked over high heat. That’s why I always turn off the heat before adding the sesame oil at the very end. 
Finish up making the stir fry

How to serve

Cucumber and egg stir fry is a great side dish, but it’s quite satisfying that you can serve it with rice as a light main dish. It is also one of our favorite dishes to serve during a family style meal for festivals and celebrations. Because it’s refreshing and light, it balances out heavier meat and spicy dishes. 

Northern Chinese cucumber and egg stir fry close up

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

It’s best to enjoy cucumber and egg stir fry fresh. Once stored for a longer time, the cucumber will lose moisture and become very soft. You can store leftover in the fridge overnight, but should eat it as soon as possible. This dish cannot be frozen.

Do I need a wok to cook this dish?

No, a large skillet will work as well. I prefer to use a wok to cook simple dishes like this, because the wok hei would add another layer of umami. But you can definitely use a skillet instead.

Other delicious northern Chinese dishes

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Crisp cucumber and tender eggs are stir fried with simple seasonings and aromatics, elevated by dried lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms for texture. I want to share this family recipe that makes a vegetable dish so satisfying.

Cucumber and Egg Stir Fry

By Maggie Zhu
No ratings yet
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
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Crisp cucumber and tender eggs are stir fried with simple seasonings and aromatics, elevated by dried lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms for texture. I want to share this family recipe that makes a vegetable dish so satisfying.

Ingredients 

  • 1 handful dried lily flowers , yields 1 and 1/2 cups after rehydration (*Optional, Footnote 1)
  • 12 pieces dried wood ear mushrooms , yields 1 cup after rehydration (*Optional, Footnote 1)
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil) (*See footnote 2)
  • 3 big eggs , beaten with 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 scallion , thinly sliced, white and light green parts separated
  • 1 small carrot , sliced into diamond shape (*See footnote 3)
  • 1 Chinese or English cucumber , sliced into diamonds (*See footnote 3)
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  • Place lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms into two separate medium-sized bowls, and add warm water to cover. Let rehydrate until turning tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Gently rinse off any dirt on the surface and drain. Snip off the tough ends from the lily flowers, if needed. Halve them if too long. Cut the wood ear mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Gently pat dry with paper towels.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok until hot. Add egg and scramble it. Let the eggs cook until some of the surface has turned golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
  • Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the garlic and scallion whites. Stir a few times until fragrant.
  • Add lily flowers, wood ear mushrooms and carrot. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the carrot starts to turn tender.
  • Add cucumber. Swirl in soy sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with chicken bouillon. Immediately stir to mix well.
  • Return cooked egg to the skillet and stir to mix well. Taste the dish and sprinkle with extra salt if needed. Continue stirring until all the ingredients are mixed well.
  • Turn off heat. Swirl in the sesame oil and stir to mix well. Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish or as a side dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

  1. Dried lily flower and wood ear mushrooms are not must-have ingredients in classic cucumber and egg stir fry. They are ingredients in my family recipe that I enjoy a lot. Feel free to use just one of them, or skip them all together if you prefer a simpler dish.
  2. Do use a generous amount of oil in this dish. The lily flowers and carrots soak up quite a bit of oil during cooking. If you skimp on the oil, the dish will turn out very dry.
  3. To cut the vegetables into diamond shape, slice on a bias about 45 degrees into pieces that are about 1” thick. Then rotate the piece so the cut side is face down. Slice across it into slices that are about 1/4” thick. (see my blog post above for detailed pictures).
  4. To make the dish gluten-free: use tamari to replace soy sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 6.6g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 15.2g, Saturated Fat: 3.1g, Cholesterol: 140mg, Sodium: 372mg, Potassium: 336mg, Fiber: 1.6g, Sugar: 2.8g, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 2mg

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