Pai Huang Gua is better known as Smashed Cucumber Salad, it makes the perfect foil for hot weather and for hot spicy food. An easy show-stopping salad to help you work out your frustrations.
Why smash the cucumbers?
This method of preparing cucumbers is a classic technique used around Asia. Smashing cucumbers until they burst, cracks their skins, releases the seeds and is a way of allowing your tasty dressing to penetrate every nook and cranny of your cucumber making them super delicious. In addition the different shapes and sizes make for interest contrasts in texture with every bite.
Do I need to salt the cucumbers?
This is an important step as the salt removes the excess water and concentrates the bright cucumber flavour and makes them crisp and meaty. The salt will dissolve and allows them to take on a slightly pickley flavour.
What cucumbers are good for smashing?
- I like to use either long telegraph/English or Lebanese/Persian cucumbers.
- Telegraph cucumbers are dark green, long and thin with a hook at one end, they are not as watery inside with more intense cucumber flavour.
- Lebanese cucumbers are a sweet, short variety with dark green, thin skin and flesh that is crisp and pale with tiny seeds.
Pai Huang Gua Ingredients
There are several versions of this salad, some without Szechuan peppercorns, some with dried or no chilli instead of fresh, some without garlic, some without coriander/cilantro some with black vinegar added as well as rice vinegar.
It is really up to you to decide what to include but the basic recipe should include the smashed cucumbers, sesame oil, soy sauce, seasoned rice vinegar and tamari for vegan or coconut aminos for keto. You may also use regular rice vinegar but just a ¼ to ½ teaspoon of sugar to the recipe to sweeten the dressing a little.
You Will Need:
How to make pai huang gua
1SMASH & CHOP CUCUMBERS
Wash your cucumbers and pat them dry, then place them on your chopping board.
Then using something heavy such as food mallet or a rolling pin, whack the cucumbers so that they just burst open.
Cut the cucumbers diagonally into small chunks, this way there is more surface area for your dressing to penetrate.
Place the cucumbers in a colander sprinkle with ½ teaspoon sea salt and toss, let them stand for 20 minutes. We want to draw out some of the liquid so that the cucumbers are not too watery.
PLACE CUCUMBERS ON BOARD 
WHACK CUCUMBERS WITH ROLLING PIN UNTIL THEY BREAK APART TRIM THE CUCUMBER ENDS CUT THE CUCUMBERS INTO BITE SIZED PIECES SALT CUCUMBERS IN A COLANDER TOSS THE CUCUMBERS IN SALT
2IN THE MEANTIME
Wash the chilli, remove the seeds then dice finely. Wash the coriander/cilantro, shake to remove to excess water, pat dry and roughly chop.
Place all dressing ingredients in a glass jar, shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking.
DESEED & DICE CHILLI CHOP CORIANDER ADD INGREDIENTS TO JAR SHAKE WELL TO EMULSIFY
3ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
After the 20 minutes have passed drain the liquid from the smashed cucumbers, then pat dry. Place them in a mixing bowl.
Add the diced chilli and coriander/cilantro, pour over the dressing then toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your preferences.
Arrange in a salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.
ALLOW CUCUMBERS TO DRAIN PAT DRY WITH A TOWEL ADD EVERYTING TO BOWL POUR OVER DRESSING MIX TO COMBINE ARRANGE IN BOWL & SERVE
Some serving ideas
As this is an Asian style salad I like to serve it with an Asian inspired meal such as spicy satay, chilli basil chicken, or any type of curry or some spicy wings.
I will also quite often serve this at a family bbq alongside grilled meats as it is so tasty and refreshing.
Can I make it ahead?
- The dressing can be made up to a week in advance and kept in a covered container in the fridge.
- I make this salad several hours in advance and keep it chilled in the fridge until I am ready to serve. The longer you leave it the more pickley the cucumbers will become and the tastier your salad will be as the cucumbers would have absorbed all the delicious flavours from the dressing.
Some more Cucumber Salads to try:
Equipment
- rolling pin or food mallet
Ingredients
- 500 grams Telegraph/English cucumbers 4 medium or 2 long cucumbers, approximately 17.6 ounces or 1 lb
- ¼ cup coriander/cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 long red chilli finely diced
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tbsps MCT or neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil toasted
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger freshly grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn
Instructions
- Wash your cucumbers and pat them dry, then place them on your chopping board.
- Then using something heavy such as food mallet or a rolling pin, whack the cucumbers so that they just burst open.
- Cut the cucumbers diagonally into small chunks, this way there is more surface area for your dressing to penetrate.
- Place the cucumbers in a colander sprinkle with ½ teaspoon sea salt and toss, let them stand for 20 minutes. We want to draw out some of the liquid so that the cucumbers are not too watery.
- Wash the chilli, remove the seeds then dice finely. Wash the coriander/cilantro, shake to remove to excess water, pat dry and roughly chop.
- Place all dressing ingredients in a glass jar, shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking.
- After the 20 minutes have passed drain the liquid from the smashed cucumbers, then pat dry. Place them in a mixing bowl.
- Add the diced chilli and coriander/cilantro, pour over the dressing then toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your preferences.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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