Chinese pickled cucumber salad with spicy seasonings including chili pepper, sichuan peppercorn etc.
I believe that many cook use cucumber in different kinds of salad since it taste crispy and a little bit sweet. This dish is a cucumber salad actually. But I named it as spicy pickled cucumber. Wonder why? Follow the steps and you will find it so similar to pickled cucumber.
There is a mild version of Chinese cucumber salad(拍黄瓜): smashed cucumber salad with garlic sauce in case you prefer the mild version than the spicy version.
This dish comes from a famous Chinese cucumber salad named as: 蓑衣黄瓜 which means the cucumber is cut to the shape of coir raincoat. And surely cutting technical is strongly required. So I just simply cut them into thin slices. Firstly peel the tough part off. But remain the skins. And cut the cucumber into thin slices.
In a large bowl, add around 2 teaspoons of salt and pickling for 1 to 2 hours. You can adjust the time yourself. Do mix the salt with cucumber slices well.
Squeeze the salt water out slightly and then add sesame oil, black vinegar and chopped garlic.
Prepare a pan, heat up 1 tablespoon oil and then stir-fry Sichuan peppercorn and tai Chili pepper until you can smell the aroma. Pour the hot oil directly on the top of the cucumber slices prepared. You can used dried red peppers.
If you cannot eat spicy food, you can stir-fry the garlic instead of the chili peppers.
- 1 long fresh cucumber
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vinegar
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves , mashed
- 2 Thai chili peppers , chopped into small sections
- 1 tsp. whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tsp. water
- 1 tbsp. peanut oil or other vegetable oil
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Cut the two ends of cucumber off and peel the tough part off. Then cut the cucumber into thin slices.
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Sprinkle salt on cucumber evenly to pick for around 1 to 2 hours.
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Squeeze the salt water out, add vinegar, sesame oil, cold water and mashed garlic in the bowl with the cucumber slices.
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Heat up oil in a pan, add chopped chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn until you can smell the aroma. And then pour it evenly on the cucumber. (or you can simple add some chili oil or Sichuan peppercorn oil).
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Enjoy!
You can add some sugar if you want a sweeter taste.
This looks so refreshing and crunch! Perfect for warm weather days! I love your pictures. So vivid and colorful!
Thanks Holly.
This in spring time, I am always feeling some kind of laziness.
Hi Elaine,
I was wondering what kind of vinegar you used? I have a few to chose from, so really interested what you recommend 🙂
Hi Lisa,
For most of my salad recipes, I am using Chinese black rice vinegar.
Hi Elaine,
It has been a long time hè ? 🙂
Is the sesame oil used here the toasted version or raw version ? Thanks
David
Hi David,
This should be roasted version since it is added directly in the dish.
Do you know what the ingredients are for this? (see image). Some type of Asian pickled cucumber thingy. From what I can tell, it has cucumber, tomatoes, onions and garlic.
Not sure what the other stuff are. I’m guessing fish sauce, salt and sugar? Probably a cambodian dish.
http://i.imgur.com/mYd09GC.jpg
Hi Drew,
Have you ever tasted it? For me, it might be sour or sweet and sour. I have not tried this dish previously.
Yes, I have tasted it and I’m trying to make it! lol
Hi Drew,
I guess it has some white vinegar, a small pinch of sugar, salt, sesame oil. Good luck and happy cooking ahead.
Thank you, Elaine! I made this today — perfect and delicious on a 40 degree day. I’m only sad that there are no leftovers! Next time two cucumbers…or four!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Chase. A lot of my friend do not eat this at the first glance because it looks not yummy and fancy at all. But I usually ended up with empty bottle after they took the first bite. It is really so great in summer.