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Achichuk
Tomato and onion salad
Uzbek tomato and onion salad (shakarob) served with plov
Achichuk, which means 'sharp' in Uzbek, is the thin-sliced tomato and onion salad that sits beside every platter of plov from Bukhara to the Ferghana Valley. In summer Tashkent markets overflow with heavy, sweet tomatoes and this salad is little more than those tomatoes, rings of mild onion, a hot green chilli, salt and black pepper, with a fistful of basil (reyhan) or dill. Some families call it shakarob. It is meant to cut through the richness of rice cooked in oil, so it has no dressing beyond the juice the tomatoes give. Chef's tip: soak the onion in salted iced water for 10 minutes; it loses its harsh bite but stays crunchy, which is how Uzbek cooks get the onion so gentle.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb ripe tomatoes4 large, very ripe
- 1 white onionmedium, sliced into very thin half-moons
- 1 green chillithinly sliced; seeds out for less heat
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- ⅓ oz fresh purple or green basilleaves torn
- ⅛ oz fresh dill (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 1 white onion in a bowl of iced water with a pinch of ¼ tsp salt. Scrunch it with your fingers for a few seconds and leave for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry. It should taste sweet with only a mild bite.
10 minStep 2: Meanwhile slice the 1 ⅓ lb ripe tomatoes as thinly as you can, top to bottom, into half-moons about 3 mm thick. A sharp serrated knife keeps the slices whole and juicy.
Step 3: Layer tomato and onion on a flat plate, scattering the 1 green chilli between the layers.
Step 4: Season with the rest of ¾ tsp salt and the ½ tsp black pepper. A common mistake is to add oil or vinegar: achichuk is undressed, and the salt draws out the tomato juice that becomes the dressing.
Step 5: Scatter over ⅓ oz fresh purple or green basil and the ⅛ oz fresh dill, if using. Leave for 5 minutes, until a pink juice pools at the edge of the plate, and serve with plov, shashlik-style grilled vegetables or warm non.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does achichuk take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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