This Chinese cucumber salad is one of the small plates commonly served at Chinese restaurants while you are waiting for your order. Its fierce flavor opens up your appetite. It is a great companion not only for traditional Chinese dishes but also for Western grills!
This refreshing dish (in Chinese, 拍黄瓜 Pāi Huáng guā) got its name from the action of smashing cucumbers with the flat side of a cleaver, which helps absorb the flavors of the dressing. If you don’t have a cleaver , don’t worry — a meat hammer or a rolling pin will suffice!
Smashed Cucumbers (拍黄瓜)
Persian cucumbers (aka "mini cucumbers") as shown in the video above work the best for this dish for its crunchiness, but other crispy cucumbers like Long English can also be used.
Smashed-cucumbers is a traditional Hunan dish with liberal use of chili peppers and garlic. You can certainly tone it down or spice it up even more.
Ingredients
- cucumber - 1 pound, Persian cucumbers preferred
- Preparation
- salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- Dressing
- rice vinegar - 3 tablespoons
- garlic - 2 tablespoons (about 5 to 6 cloves), finely chopped
- crushed red pepper - to taste, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
- sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
- salt - to taste, about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon
- Before Serving
- sesame oil - 1 teaspoon
- chili oil - optional
Instructions
Video is also provided at the top of this article to demonstrate the steps.
- Chop off the ends of each cucumber. Place cucumber on a cutting board. Hold blade of a cleaver flat against cucumber. Give the cleaver a whack or two so that cucumber bursts and opens up. If you don't have a cleaver, use a meat hammer or a rolling pin. Cut cucumber into 1-inch bite sizes. [see video above at 0:08]
- Place cucumbers into a bowl. Add salt and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes. This process will draw water out of the cucumbers to increase their crispiness. [0:23]
- When the time is up, drain off the excess water from the bowl. [0:35]
- Add rice vinegar, crushed red pepper, sugar, salt, and garlic into the bowl. Toss well with cucumbers and set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to absorb. [0:41]
- Add sesame oil and, optionally, chili oil prior to serving. [0:58]
A perfect appetizer, especially during spring or summer time!
