Smashed cucumber salad
Pāi huángguā, “smashed cucumber”, is a cold starter that often reaches the table first in Chinese homes and restaurants. The cucumbers are not sliced but smashed with the flat of a knife, salted, then tossed with black vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and chilli oil. Smashing leaves jagged, broken surfaces that soak up the dressing far better than smooth slices. The result is cool, crunchy, sour and hot, ready in half an hour — perfect in summer next to rice and something fried.
Your own work in that: 5 min.
- Smashing the cucumbers 10 min
- Salting 15 min
- Dressing 5 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSmash the cucumbers
Wash the cucumbers, lay them on a board and hit them several times with the flat of a large knife or a rolling pin until they split lengthwise. Keep the cutting edge facing away from you and your fingers clear of where you strike. A cloth over the cucumbers stops the juice spraying.
Ingredients: 600 g cucumbers · 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp sesame seeds · 2 tbsp coriander (optional)
Smashed, not sliced — the dressing clings better.Break into pieces
Tear or cut the smashed cucumbers on the diagonal into 3–4 cm pieces. Scoop out the largest seed cores if watery.
Ingredients: 600 g cucumbers · 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp sesame seeds · 2 tbsp coriander (optional)
Salt them
Toss the cucumbers with the salt, tip into a sieve and leave 15 minutes. The salt draws out water, so the salad stays crisp rather than watery.
Ingredients: 600 g cucumbers · 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp sesame seeds · 2 tbsp coriander (optional)
Salt draws water out — they stay crisp.Crush the garlic
Crush the garlic in a press or chop it very finely.
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar) · 1 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tsp sugar · 1 tbsp sesame oil · 1 tbsp chilli oil
Make the dressing
Mix the garlic with the black vinegar, soy sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the sesame oil and chilli oil.
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar) · 1 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tsp sugar · 1 tbsp sesame oil · 1 tbsp chilli oil
Black vinegar gives a deep, slightly sweet taste.Drain the cucumbers
Pour off the water the cucumbers released and pat them lightly dry with kitchen paper.
Ingredients: 600 g cucumbers · 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp sesame seeds · 2 tbsp coriander (optional)
Toss
Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss thoroughly so every piece is coated.
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic · 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar) · 1 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tsp sugar · 1 tbsp sesame oil · 1 tbsp chilli oil
Serve
Scatter with sesame and coriander. Serve at once as a starter or alongside rice and fried dishes. If you like it cold, chill the cucumbers before smashing.
Ingredients: 600 g cucumbers · 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp sesame seeds · 2 tbsp coriander (optional)
Before you start
Black vinegar
Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) is dark, gently sour and slightly sweet, with a malty note. Asian shops sell it. Rice vinegar with a drop of balsamic is a sensible substitute.
Less heat
Chilli oil is sold in Asian shops and larger supermarkets. You can replace it with a tablespoon of plain oil and a few chilli flakes, or leave it out. The garlic and vinegar still make it punchy.
Storage
Best within an hour. It keeps up to 24 hours in the fridge, but the cucumbers soften and weep — pour off the liquid before serving.
