Braised cucumbers with shrimp and mushrooms

This is another one of those typical home cooked dishes that I would whip up on an average day. I know that some of my friends who are reading this blog are newly weds who would cook for their family, so this is a good and simple dish to try to go with rice.

1. Slice cucumber length-wise into quarters and slice off the seeds. Slice into smaller pieces. Slice up brown mushrooms. De-shell prawns and make a slit on the back to remove the "poop-vein". Chop a small clove of garlic finely.
2. In a medium-hot frying pan, fry up the mushrooms and cucumbers with the garlic. Add water until just barely covering the ingredients. Add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and let it braise in low heat until the cucumber is soft. (about 5-10mins)
3. Add prawns into the cucumbers and stir fry until the prawns are cooked.
4. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine (optional) and add in cornstarch water* to thicken the sauce.
5. Serve!

* Cornstarch water, or 勾芡 (gou qian), is to mix a small teaspoon of cornstarch with a little COLD/COOL water. This cornstarch water is added to a dish just before it's done to thicken the sauce and give the dish a shiny, glossy finish. It's heat that activates the thickening agent, so it's important that you use cool tap water to make the cornstarch water. Also, continue stirring the food while you add it into the frying pan, or you'll get a lump of jelly in your food. :)