
Lacchewalle Pyaz
A sharp, lemony onion pickle with softened onion slices, salty-savoury chaat masala and a mild chilli kick. It is fresh and crunchy-soft, with coriander adding a green herbal note.
Dressing spices
2.1 gStirred into the lemon juice dressing (step 1)Everything else
Method
- In a small bowl, stir the dressing spices with 2.6 g black salt, 4.2 g granulated sugar and 50 g lemon juice until the sugar dissolves.
- Stir 30 g coriander leaf into the dressing.
- Put 200 g red onion in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss well.
- Cover and leave for 2–3 hours, until the onion slices have softened.
Don't have something?

Chaat masala

Tandoori snack spice mixUse the same weight; taste first as it can be smokier and saltier. Add lime or amchoor if the dish needs more tang.
Dried mango powderUse about half the weight, mixed with black salt and a pinch of ground cumin. It gives tang and saltiness but lacks the minty, asafoetida notes.
Black saltUse about half the weight and add lime juice to taste. It gives the salty, sulphurous edge but not the full tangy blend.

Kashmiri chilli powder

Dried kashmiri chilliGrind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.
Red chilli powderUse 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.
Chilli powderUse one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.

Granulated sugar

JaggeryUse equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Lemon

LimeUse the same weight or juice amount; sharper, so taste before adding all the juice.
Lemon juiceUse about 45–50 ml for 1 lemon; add off the heat to keep the freshness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 tsp for the juice of 1 lemon; add early. Sourness is flatter and less fresh.

Coriander leaf


Red onion

OnionUse the same weight; cook a little longer. Milder and less sweet when raw.
ShallotUse the same weight; sweeter and softer, so reduce cooking time slightly.
Spring onionUse only the white parts, weight for weight, for raw or quick-cooked dishes; green parts are too grassy for long cooking.
Similar dishes

- Same: Sirkewalla Pyaz shares red onion, lemon juice, Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander with this dish.
- Different: Sirkewalla Pyaz uses 300 g red onion, regular salt and cumin seed, and it omits chaat masala, black salt and sugar; it also has only 1 g coriander against this dish’s 30 g.

- Same: Sirkewala Achar and this dish are both tangy pickles that contain onion, sugar and salt.
- Different: Sirkewala Achar uses white malt vinegar as its souring agent and adds olive oil, garlic, carrot, cucumber and cauliflower, while this dish uses lemon, chaat masala, black salt, Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander with red onion only.

- Same: Onion Bhajiya and this dish both use onion as their main ingredient and include salt.
- Different: Onion Bhajiya coats onion in gram flour with ajwain and bicarbonate of soda and fries it in vegetable oil, while this dish tosses onion with lemon, chaat masala, black salt, sugar and coriander and is not fried.

- Same: Awadh Imliwali Pyaz shares red onion, Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander leaves with this dish.
- Different: Awadh Imliwali Pyaz adds tomato, tamarind paste, garlic, curry leaf, cumin seed, black peppercorn, dried red chilli, vegetable oil and sugar and is a cooked chutney, while this dish lacks those and uses lemon, chaat masala and black salt as a fresh pickle.













