Salt the cucumbers

• Trim the ends of 2 medium Japanese cucumbers and halve lengthwise.
• Using the back of a spoon, remove the pulp. Slice the halves thinly. (Leave the skin on.)
• Mix the cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon salt. Leave them to drain in a colander for 30 minutes.

Make roasted sesame dressing

1. Deep-roast sesame seeds (Go to step 2 if you're using roasted sesame paste)

• Heat a large pan or wok. Roast 6 teaspoons sesame seeds to a golden brown on low heat.
• Even if your seeds are pre-roasted, roast them for a few minutes to deepen the flavor and color.
• Let the seeds cool a bit. Using a spice blender or food processor, grind the seeds.
• Initially, they will have a grainy texture. Scrape the sides and keep grinding. Eventually, the seeds will release oil and form a smooth paste.

2. Toast sesame oil

• Make this super-quick chilli oil: Heat 3 teaspoons sesame oil in a small pan on low heat.
• Once the oil heats up, add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
• Turn off the heat. Let them sizzle and cool down.
• This way, you toast the sesame oil and infuse it with chili flavor simultaneously.

3. Mix the rest of the dressing ingredients

• Transfer the chili oil to a small bowl or salad dressing shaker.
• Add 2 teaspoons roasted sesame paste, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ginger powder, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon honey, 3 teaspoons light soy sauce and ¼ teaspoon black pepper .
• Whisk or shake until the dressing is combined and emulsified like a thick vinaigrette dressing.

Add mix-ins

• Transfer the sliced cucumbers to a large bowl. They would have released a lot of water by now.
• Wipe them dry using paper towels. DO NOT RINSE.
• Thinly slice 2 medium carrots into half-moons or matchsticks and add to the cucumber slices.
• Drizzle the sesame dressing on the vegetables.
• Crush ¼ cup roasted peanuts and add. Sprinkle ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
• Toss everything together and serve the salad.