00:00If you're looking for a crunchy and delicious vegetable side dish that can be prepared in
00:04just 5 minutes, then you need to try this spicy izakaya inspired smashed cucumber salad.
00:09You can also find this recipe on my website along with 400 Japanese recipes, just google
00:14smashed cucumber space stachi to find the written recipe.
00:18Let's get started with our flavour packed sauce. Into a mixing bowl add 1 tablespoon of Japanese
00:24soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of Chinese style chicken bouillon powder,
00:311 teaspoon of yellow miso paste, ½ teaspoon of chili oil, and ½ teaspoon of chili bean sauce.
00:38We're using Tauban Jan here, that amazing Sichuan condiment that brings just the right amount of heat.
00:44Don't sweat it if you can't find it though, gotcha jan works great as a backup.
00:50Just mix everything until it's smooth and you've worked out all those little miso lumps.
00:56Grab 2 Japanese cucumbers or if you're using English cucumber just half the amount,
01:01give them a quick wash, dry them off and trim the ends.
01:09Now here's where it gets fun, take your rolling pin or a sturdy beer mug and give those cucumbers
01:16a good smash. You're aiming for that sweet spot between gentle taps and total destruction,
01:22enough force to create cracks without turning your cucumber into mush.
01:27Those cracks are like little flavour pockets that'll soak up all the amazing sauce we just made.
01:35Next, use your hands to tear the smashed cucumber into rough bite-sized chunks.
01:39Those jagged edges grab onto the sauce way but I don't clean knife cuts ever could.
01:44Cutting with a knife tends to make the cuts too smooth and the sauce simply slides right off.
01:51By the way, smashed cucumber originates from Sichuan, China, where they absolutely love
01:57their bold spices. In Japan, you'll find this dish is called Tadakikyuri and it's a staple at
02:03izakaya restaurants and yakinuku spots like Gyukaku too. Since we're talking izakaya vibes here,
02:10I want it now that you can't stop eating quality that keeps you coming back for more.
02:15Toss everything into your sauce bowl and give it a good mix until every piece is nicely coated.
02:22If you've got some time, cover it and let it hang out in the fridge. The longer it sits,
02:27the more those flavours get to know each other. It's perfect for meal prep but I've got to warn you,
02:33you might find yourself sneaking bites straight from the fridge. Been there, done that.
02:39If you're serving right away, finish it off with a sprinkle of chilli threads or flakes and sesame seeds.
02:47And that's it, delicious Japanese style smashed cucumber with a spicy miso sauce.
02:53Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
02:59Ok, let's go over the ingredients one more time and if you're ready to cook, grab the written
03:03instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
03:09There we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen now and if you want to watch
03:13more similar
03:13videos, don't miss my izakaya recipe playlist popping up on your screen as well. Thanks so much
03:18for watching and I'll see you in the next one. Bye.
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