Achichuk

Achichuk is an Uzbek salad of thinly sliced tomatoes and onion, seasoned with salt and sometimes hot pepper; in the classic version, oil is either left out entirely or used sparingly. The thin slicing matters — it lets the salad stay juicy from the tomatoes' own liquid rather than from dressing.

It's served cold as the standard companion to plov and shashlik — its freshness and slight tartness cut through the richness of those dishes. It's a simple, light side to almost any hot national dish on the menu.