5-Minute Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad (Pai Huanggua) 🌶️

Ready in 5 minutes! A fragrant, spicy, and appetite-stimulating smacked cucumber salad that's perfect for 1–2 people. 🥗

🥗 Ingredients (serves 1–2)

• Cucumbers: 2 (choose knobbly/thin-skinned ones for extra crunch)
• Garlic: 3 cloves, minced (the soul of the dish!)
• Chili oil: 2 tbsp (homemade or Lao Gan Ma)
• Light soy sauce: 1 tbsp
• Black vinegar (or Chinese fragrant vinegar): 1 tbsp
• Sugar: 1/2 tbsp (key for brightness)
• Sesame oil: 1/2 tbsp
• Crushed peanuts / white sesame: to taste (optional, for extra texture ✨)

👩🍳 Super simple steps 1️⃣ Smash the cucumbers

• Wash cucumbers and remove the ends. Smash them with the back of a knife (❗ do NOT cut first — smashed cucumbers absorb flavor better), then cut into segments. Add 1/2 tbsp salt, let sit 5 minutes to draw out water, then drain.

2️⃣ Make the universal dressing

• In a bowl mix minced garlic + chili oil + light soy sauce + black vinegar + sugar + sesame oil. Stir until sugar dissolves, then pour over the cucumbers.

3️⃣ Toss vigorously

• Sprinkle crushed peanuts or sesame, then toss with chopsticks for about 10 seconds so every piece is coated in sauce!

💡 Chef's tips

• ✅ Use chilled cucumbers for extra crispness!
• ✅ Add 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn oil (flower pepper oil) to upgrade to numbing-spicy 🌶️
• ✅ Let sit 10 minutes before serving so flavors penetrate fully

🍽️ Serving moment Tangy, spicy, and refreshingly crisp — the perfect cure for poor appetite. Great with congee, as a drinking snack, or as a cold side dish. Try it now! 😋