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Pai Huang Gua salad with chlli, cilantro and szechuan in background with text overlay.
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4.50 from 2 votes

Pai Huang Gua A.K.A. Smashed Cucumber Salad

Ready for a salad workout? Try Pai Huang Gua or Smashed Cucumber Salad, it's made by smashing cucumbers and tossing them with some other Asian faves.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Salting20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Asian Salad, smashed cucumber salad
Difficulty: Easy
Diet: dairy free, Gluten free, Low Carb, nut free, Vegan, Vegetarian,
Servings: 4 as a side
Calories: 119kcal

Equipment

  • rolling pin or food mallet

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 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

For the dressing

  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons MCT or neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil toasted, this is the dark coloured one not the golden
  • 1 tablespoon light 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

Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg