Smashed Cucumber Salad (Pai Huang Gua)

A cool, crunchy Chinese cold dish: cucumbers smashed so they soak up a garlicky dressing of rice vinegar, soy, sesame and chilli oil. Ready in 15 minutes and naturally vegan.

15 minto make
4portions
Easyto cook
Vegandiet

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Ingredients

For 4 portions

600g cucumber
0.75 Tsp salt
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tsp sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp chilli oil
1 small red chilli peppers
1 Tsp sesame seeds
5g fresh coriander

Method

Wash the cucumbers and trim the ends. Lay one on a chopping board, put the flat side of a large knife (or a rolling pin) on top and press or bash firmly until it cracks open along its length. Repeat along the whole cucumber, then do the rest.
Cut the cracked cucumbers into rough 3–4 cm chunks on the diagonal.
Put the cucumber in a bowl, sprinkle over the salt and toss. Leave for 10 minutes – this draws out water so the salad stays crunchy and doesn't go watery.
Meanwhile make the dressing: finely mince the garlic and mix it in a small bowl with the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chilli oil until the sugar dissolves. Thinly slice the red chilli.
Tip the cucumber into a sieve and shake off the liquid that has collected (don't rinse).
Return the cucumber to the bowl, pour over the dressing and add the sliced chilli. Toss well.
Scatter with sesame seeds and a few coriander leaves and serve straight away, or chill for up to 1 hour. Great with rice, noodles or any stir-fry.