Festive Stuffed Cucumber

It was always a festive occasion when there was a stuffed vegetable on the dinner table, for this meant my mother had had the time to make a complicated dish. One of my favourite dishes from my childhood is stuffed bitter melon. When it was not in season, my mother would substitute cucumbers. They lend themselves to stuffing because their tender, succulent flesh complements so many savoury fillings. Thick cucumber slices are stuffed and then shallow-fried, which seals in the flavours of the