This cucumber and shirataki noodle salad is a fusion of delicious, healthy Asian flavours. Low-calorie shirataki noodles are a lesser-known Japanese noodles made from konjac, also known as the elephant yam, and are full of water-soluble fibre. This salad combines Chinese Sichuan peppercorns with coriander and peanuts reminiscent of Pad Thai. Great for the health conscious or lovers of fusion cuisine.
Ingredients:
- Shirataki noodles, 2 packets
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 handful of coriander, finely chopped
- 1 handful of roasted peanuts, crushed
For Sichuan-Style Dressing:
- 1 tsp sichuan peppercorns
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp of black rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp of tahini sesame paste
- 1 tbsp of light brown sugar
- 2 tsp chilli oil
- 1 tsp groundnut oil
- water as needed
Instructions:
- Drain the shirataki noodles, rinsing with cold water before setting aside in a sieve. You want to make sure that the noodles are well-drained or the dish will be too watery.
- Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium heat, until they turn fragrant and start to smoke. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool before grinding coarsely. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can put them into a ziplock bag, seal, and crush with something heavy.
- Halve the cucumber lengthwise and remove the watery seeds, before julienning into thin, long strips. Set aside with the noodles.
- Stir together all the ingredients for the dressing, adding just enough water to get a runny sauce. Make sure to stir vigorously so that the sugar dissolves and everything is well-combined.
- Combine the noodles with the vegetables, peanuts and dressing, tossing well to combine. Divide into bowls and finish with a final sprinkle of chopped coriander and crushed peanuts before digging in.
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