Smacked radishes

Name: Smacked radishes
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 2 as a side
Cuisine: Chinese recipes
Ingredients: 250g radishes, trimmed; 1 tsp sea salt flakes; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 1 tbsp chinkiang vinegar (see Know-how); 1 tsp crispy chilli oil (we like Lao Gan Ma); 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp caster sugar; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 1 tbsp chopped salted peanuts; 1 tbsp chopped coriander

Portion size: Serves 2 as a side
Hands-on time 10 min, plus salting
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Vegan

Pollyanna Coupland

Food producer, delicious.

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This dish is a riff on the wonderfully fiery and refreshing Sichuan favourite smacked cucumbers. The radishes are ‘smacked’ until they tear apart, giving a craggy texture for the dressing to cling to. It’s a great crunchy, fragrant side dish for spring.

Try serving these radishes alongside our Sichuan-style asparagus with pork mince.

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Ingredients

250g radishes, trimmed
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp chinkiang vinegar (see Know-how)
1 tsp crispy chilli oil (we like Lao Gan Ma)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp chopped salted peanuts
1 tbsp chopped coriander

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Method

Using the flat side of a large cook’s knife or the base of a small frying pan, bash the radishes until a bit squashed and cracking. Put them in a colander or sieve set over a bowl (or in the sink) and toss with the salt. Leave for 20 minutes to draw out moisture and firm up.
In a large bowl, mix the garlic, vinegar, chilli oil, sesame oil and sugar with a pinch of salt to make the dressing. Lift the radishes out of the sieve (leaving behind any liquid) and toss with the dressing to coat. Stir in the sesame seeds, peanuts and coriander, then transfer to a serving dish. While they won’t go limp as quickly as smacked cucumber does, they’re best eaten right away when they’re still crunchy.

Nutrition

131kcals Calories
9g (1.7g saturated) Fat
4.3g Protein
7.1g (5.6g sugars) Carbs
2.3g Fibre
3.6g Salt

Cook smarter

Salting the radishes is an important step as it draws out some of their liquid, allowing them to suck up some of the dressing.

Chinkiang vinegar is a Chinese black rice vinegar and an integral part of many of the country’s most beloved dishes. It’s got a slight sweetness and malty flavour along with its acidic kick. Get it from Asian supermarkets or online.