Ingredients
Scale
- 1 long English Cucumber
- Peanut oil
- ½ tbsp. 3 year aged Pixian doubangjang
- ½ tbsp. combined mashed fermented black beans and mashed garlic (equal quantities of each)
- 3 Facing Heaven Chiles
- 1 tsp. red Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 small handful roughly-chopped cilantro
- ½ tsp. top-quality soy sauce
- 1 tsp. top-quality sesame oil (TFD prefers Kadoya brand)
- ½ tsp. sweetened Chinese black vinegar (TFD prefers Koon Chun brand)
Instructions
- Qiang Huang Gua – Cut one long, English cucumber in half vertically, scoop out the seeds, and cut into batons about 3 inches long and ¼ to ½ inch wide. Salt generously and leave to drain in a colander for 30 minutes or so.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to a hot wok and immediately add facing heaven chilies and red Sichuan peppercorns.
- Stir-fry the spices until they are just starting to darken, then add black bean/garlic paste and Pixian paste, stir-fry one minute.
- Add cucumber and stir-fry briefly so that all cucumbers are exposed to hot oil. Add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar plus chopped Cilantro. Mix well, and plate. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Snip chilies in half and retain seeds for heat, or leave seeds out for a milder dish.
- If using Mala Market Sichuan pepper, 1 teaspoon should be plenty; if using less potent peppercorns, you may need more
- Category: Recipes
Nutrition
- Calories: 56.82 kcal
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 120.66 mg
- Fat: 3.09 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.13 g
- Fiber: 1.22 g
- Protein: 1.57 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
