Smashed Cucumber Salad (Liang Ban Huang Gua)

Name: Smashed Cucumber Salad (Liang Ban Huang Gua)
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: chinese
Ingredients: 500 g Japanese Cucumbers; 1 tbsp Salt (for washing); 0.66 tsp Salt (for marinating); 4 pieces Small Chilies (mixed red and green); 3 cloves Garlic; 0.25 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns; 0.25 tsp Salt (for sauce); 1 tsp Sugar; 1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds; 0.25 cup Cooking Oil; 0.5 lemon Lemon Juice; 1 bunch Coriander

A refreshing and flavorful Smashed Cucumber Salad, inspired by a dish from Sichuan, China. This recipe uses Japanese cucumbers, which are smashed to absorb the savory, spicy, and tangy dressing, resulting in a wonderfully crisp texture and deep flavor.

20 min 2 servingsMr. Hong Kitchen阿鸿厨房 Source

Extracted by chinwei271Extracted 2 Jul 2026

Nutrition· per serving · estimated

280

Calories

Protein

12g

Carbs

28g

Fat

Scale recipe

2 servings

Original recipe

Ingredients12 items

Produce

🥒Japanese Cucumbers500 g

🌶️Small Chilies (mixed red and green)4 pieces

🧄Garlic3 cloves

🍋Lemon Juice½ lemon

🌿Coriander1 bunch

Pantry

🧂Salt (for washing)1 tbsp

🧂Salt (for marinating)0.66 tsp

🧂Salt (for sauce)¼ tsp

🍚Sugar1 tsp

SESAMEWhite Sesame Seeds1 tbsp

🌻Cooking Oil¼ cup

Spices

🌿Sichuan Peppercorns¼ tsp

Instructions

1
Wash the Japanese cucumbers thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of salt, rubbing the skin to clean it. Rinse well under running water.
1:25 timer
2
Place the clean cucumbers on a sturdy cutting board. Using the side of a cleaver, firmly smash the cucumbers along their length, rotating them to smash all sides. This helps them absorb flavor. Then, cut the smashed cucumbers into bite-sized chunks.
1:40 timer
3
Transfer the smashed cucumber chunks to a bowl. Add 2/3 teaspoon of salt and mix well by hand. Let it sit for a few minutes to draw out excess water, then drain the water using a sieve.
1:38 timer
4
Finely chop the small chilies and garlic. Place them in a small, heat-proof bowl.
1:54 timer
5
To the bowl with chilies and garlic, add Sichuan peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix these ingredients together.
1:25 timer
6
Add white sesame seeds to the mixture and stir.
0:10 timer
7
Heat a wok over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add 1/4 cup of cooking oil and heat until very hot (just before smoking point). Carefully pour the hot oil over the aromatics and seasonings in the bowl. It should sizzle vigorously.
1:21 timer
8
Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the sauce and mix thoroughly.
0:28 timer
9
Chop the coriander into small segments and add it to the drained cucumbers in a clean bowl.
1:09 timer
10
Wearing gloves, pour the prepared sauce over the cucumbers and coriander. Mix everything together vigorously by hand for about 30 seconds to ensure all ingredients are well combined and the cucumbers are coated with the flavorful dressing.
1:24 timer
11
Serve the Smashed Cucumber Salad immediately, or chill it in the refrigerator for a short period before serving for an even more refreshing taste.
0:26 timer

Free, no card required.

Cuisinechinese