Microwave Smashed Cucumber Salad
Translated from Chinese, the language of the video.
秦客的烹讀筆記 cooked this in a Facebook video, in Chinese. SeeMeCook wrote it up from the video as a full recipe, translated it into English, and added ingredient weights and nutrition.
Watch the original videoImported by John Tan on SeeMeCook
A refreshing, zero-stove summer side dish that uses the microwave to bloom aromatics without the mess of oil splatter. The cucumbers are salted to draw out moisture, ensuring a crunchy texture and well-seasoned bite.
- Time
- 22 minutes
- Equipment
- Microwave
- Good for
- Lunch, dinner, or snacks
- Cuisine
- East Asian
- Contains
- Alcohol
- Diet
- Vegan
Diet and allergen details are read from the ingredient names and are not certified.
Ingredients
- 300 g
- 9 g
- 3 g
- 18 g
- 14 g
- 2 g
- 15 g
Weights are estimates. Together, the ingredients weigh about 355 g before cooking, which is about 180 g per serving.
Steps
Prepare the cucumbers by cutting them into bite-sized sections. Alternatively, smash them with the side of a knife before cutting if you prefer a more traditional 'smashed' texture.
Place the cucumber pieces into a container and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the water to draw out.
While the cucumbers are brining, smash and mince the garlic cloves.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the minced garlic, mirin, cooking oil, and Korean chili flakes.
Place the bowl in the microwave and heat until the garlic is fragrant (about 30-60 seconds depending on microwave power). This 'blooms' the spices and garlic without oil smoke.
Remove the bowl from the microwave and immediately stir in the rice vinegar. Adding the vinegar after heating helps preserve its bright aroma.
Drain the excess salty water from the cucumbers. If the cucumbers taste too salty, rinse them briefly with drinking water and shake dry.
Pour the warm aromatic dressing over the cucumbers and toss well to combine. Serve immediately or chilled.
Notes
Using the microwave to 'fry' the garlic and chili flakes is a great way to avoid oil fumes in the summer. If you prefer a deeper flavor, you can substitute the rice vinegar with Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar).
Nutrition
These are estimates per serving, worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories
- 117
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Where the calories come from
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