Pai Haun Gua - An addictively delicious cucumber dish!
PAI HUAN GUA
An addictively delicious cucumber dish!
This recipe is a play on my favourite Chinese dish. I haven’t ever seen it offered in North America, but when I lived in Beijing, I ordered it every time I ate out. Huan Gua means cucumber, and Pai means smashed. (I just chop mine and skip the smashing part).
It is a light and refreshing dish, making it a perfect a summer side when you don’t feel like cooking, or, in the case of my Beijing days, the perfect compliment to some of the greasy dishes that also frequented my plate. Fresh and crisp cucumber is complimented by lots of garlic, and a lovely blend of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, a little chilli and sesame.
When I arrived to Beijing I spoke zero mandarin and had to learn really quick if I was going to be able to get a taxi, order food or get to know the locals. I arrived to Beijing in the height of SARS circa 2003. The government had just shut down any public place where more than 15 people could gather at a time. (Sound familiar)?! Although the bulk of restaurants had to shut down, the little back alley places with two tables could stay open. The places tourists would never find, but locals treasured. There were 3 dishes I memorized how to say on my first week and this was one of them.
We felt like we were in the wild wild west of the east back then - in un-travelled areas, doing something not a lot of others had done before us. It was the days of internet cafes, pre-youtube, pre-social media, and smart phones were still a ways away. (Check out the Nokia on a lanyard on my neck in the above photo! lols).
The food was so good I wish y’all could try it . . . The friends and community were so treasured, I wish y’all could experience it! But at the very least, here’s a recipe to give you a little sneak peek, and if you were a Beijing expat like me, a little trip down memory lane! So, back to the cucumbers.
In Beijing, we would have shared this as part of our family-style meal, but nowadays I enjoy it as a snack, or to compliment a meal, a buddha bowl, a salad or pretty much anything!
INGREDIENTS
2 long english cucumbers or 4 Persian cucumbers
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp Soy
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds based on preference
DIRECTIONS
Slice or chop your cucumbers and set aside in a bowl.
Mix together all of your ingredients saving the sesame seeds until the end.
Mix in the sesame seeds.
Pour dressing over cucumbers, mix well and enjoy immediately or save in fridge to enjoy over the next few days.