I love making takeaway food right at home. Here is a delicious Chinese salad that is popular on takeaway menus and takes less than 10 minutes to make. There are 3 kinds of ‘Chinese takeaway’ - Indo-Chinese (like these Hakka noodles), American Chinese and authentic Chinese. Today’s recipe falls under the last group. Traditional Chinese food is very different from what we are used to eating in India and US. The dishes are simple, flavorful and are generally made with just a few ingredients. This smashed cucumber salad is a perfect example. It needs only a handful of ingredients and tastes absolutely amazing.
Ingredients
The hero for this salad is ‘Cucumber’. Small sized Persian cucumbers are best for this recipe. If you cannot get your hands on Persian, then try Kirby or English cucumbers. You also need some basic seasonings to flavor the salad. Garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame oil, sugar and salt.
Instructions
As the name of the dish suggests, cukes are smashed (or whacked) to make this salad. This smashing process releases the moisture in the vegetable and softens the inside. But keeps the crunchiness still intact. So start by whacking the washed cucumbers with the flat side of a chef’s knife. (This is a perfect excuse to take out your frustration after a long day). Once done, combine them with garlic, sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar and salt. Toss well to incorporate everything. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Serve right away or chilled.
Taste Test
This Chinese cucumber salad is very crispy, crunchy and absolutely refreshing. What I love about this recipe is that there is no soy sauce or other strong flavors that are typical in Asian cooking. This is a simple, clean salad that is just delicious.
Tips
Persian cucumbers are the best in this recipe. But feel free to use Kirby or smaller English cukes.This is a simple recipe that depends highly on the balance of flavors. So make sure to taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Few more Chinese style recipes to try at home:
Chinese Cold sesame noodlesChinese potato stir frySesame tofu asparagus stir fryTofu Skin Noodles stir fryShanghai Fried Rice
More easy salad recipes to try:
Chopped salad with ginger-honey dressingMoroccan Carrot SaladScandinavian beet potato saladUruguayan Bean SaladSesame noodle & vegetable salad
