Spicy Chinese Potato Salad with Vinegar and Chili Recipe
This unusual Chinese salad made from thinly sliced potatoes is slightly crunchy, tangy, and spicy. In China, it’s often served as a cold side dish with lunch or dinner – a bit like our potato salad, but without mayonnaise and with lots of vinegar and chili. Perfect when you’re tired of classic boiled potatoes.
This salad shows a completely different face of potatoes: instead of being soft and creamy, they are crisp-tender, tangy, and full of chili heat. It’s a simple way to bring authentic Chinese flavors to your table with basic ingredients.
Chef's tips
Cut the potatoes as evenly and as thinly as you can – this is key to getting the right texture. Don’t overcook them: as soon as they lose their raw crunch but are still springy, drain them. If you use very strong vinegar, start with a smaller amount and adjust to taste.
How to serve
Serve in small bowls as part of a larger spread of Chinese-style dishes, alongside stir-fries, dumplings, or grilled skewers. It also works great as a refreshing side for rich, fatty dishes like pork belly or fried tofu.
Ingredients
- potatoes preferably firm, salad potatoes - 500 g
- rice vinegar - 3 tablespoons
- soy sauce - 1 tablespoon
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed oil - 2 tablespoons
- chili oil - 1 tablespoon
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- fresh ginger about 1 teaspoon finely grated - 5 g
- chives or spring onion chopped - 10 g
- salt for cooking the potatoes - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Peel and rinse the potatoes. Slice them into very thin slices, then cut into thin matchsticks. The thinner they are, the better they will crunch.
- Place the cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water and rinse to remove excess starch. You can change the water once or twice, until it is almost clear.
- Bring a large pot of water with 0.5 teaspoon of salt to a boil. When the water boils, add the drained potatoes.
- Cook the potatoes for 2–3 minutes from the moment the water comes back to a boil. They should soften slightly but remain springy and lightly crunchy, not overcooked.
- Drain the potatoes and immediately rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside in a colander to drain well.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel the ginger and grate it finely. Chop the chives or spring onion.
- In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
- In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 20–30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the chili oil, and stir.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, pour in the vinegar–soy sauce mixture and the hot oil with garlic, ginger, and chili. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the chopped chives or spring onion, mix again, and set aside for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w lodówce do 2 dni. Przed podaniem wyjmij ją na 10–15 minut, aby nie była lodowata, i wymieszaj. Nie mroź – ziemniaki po rozmrożeniu będą wodniste i miękkie.
