Laccha onion aka laccha pyaaz, is a spicy and crunchy Indian onion salad made using onion rings, lime juices and spices.
It comes together in under 10 minutes, and is a riot of flavors and textures.
You can pair it with any of your favorite Indian curries or rice dishes, or even some tandoori appetizers if you want to.
There’s just something about the tangy, smoky and spicy flavors of this salad- it has now become one of the most loved sides in my home!
Curry nights are incomplete without it- after all, you need a pungent and tangy side to a creamy chicken karahi- don’t you?
And don’t even get me started on how absolutely wicked it tastes with my malai chicken tikka skewers!
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
I’ve tried my hands at quite a few onion salad recipes out there, but this one just hits home with its tangy, spicy and pungent flavors.
Pair it with a bowl of comforting dal makhani or serve it with some biryani or pulao - this salad is perfect with almost everything!
Ingredients For the Laccha Onion Recipe
Onions: Red onions are the best choice for this recipe. They have a nice bit of pungent taste, which is exactly what we want here.
Spices: I used a mix of red chili powder, cumin powder and some pink salt.
Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice brings an incredible tanginess to the salad. Use lemon juice if you don’t have fresh limes.
Green chili: For that bit of extra heat. Keep in mind that this can make the salad quite spicy!
Cilantro: For that beautiful pop of color and lots of freshness.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- To add some extra flavor to the onion salad, top it with a sprinkle of chaat masala.
- You could also try this laccha salad recipe using white onions or sweet onions if you don’t have red onions.
- If you don’t have the coriander leaves to garnish, use fresh mint leaves or a pinch of dried mint leaves, or any other fresh herbs of your choice to lend the laccha pyaz salad some more flavor.
How to Make Laccha Onion Salad
Got everything ready? Here’s the step by step process to make this restaurant style laccha onion salad.
Step 1: Peel and finely slice the onions into thin rings. Add them to a large bowl filled with ice cubes and a little water. Let them soak in the ice water for 15 minutes, then drain the water and pat dry the lachha onions.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl along with the onions.
Step 3: Use your hands or two spoons to mix everything well, ensuring that all the onion rings are nicely coated in the spices.
Step 4: Allow the salad to rest for a few minutes and then serve.
💭Top Tip
Refrigerate the Indian onion salad for a few minutes before you serve it for the best flavor.
How to Store Leftover Laccha Pyaaz
I would recommend finishing up your leftover salad within a few hours, but if you can’t, simply pop it into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to a day.
You can then use the leftover crunchy onions as a filling for your chicken wraps or sliders, as a swap for coleslaw or a fresh salad.
I personally love chopping up the masala pyaz rings and adding them to my favorite spicy chickpea Indian salad.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use Kashmiri red chili powder to season the sliced onion rings. It has that brilliant red color you’re looking for, but isn’t overly spicy.
- This isn’t one of those salads that can be prepped ahead of time. Raw onion loses its crunch once it is tossed with the spices and salt, so it makes sense to put this salad together right when you want to serve it.
- If you’re using any other kind of onions for the recipe, you won’t need to soak them in the ice water for as long, since they’re not as pungent as red onions.
How to Serve the Indian Onion Salad
This onion laccha salad is a must-have with practically any Indian meal. You’ll find it served as a side dish at most North Indian restaurants, but at home, I love pairing it with my tandoori starters in particular.
Tandoori chicken or paneer tikka, served along with roti or some spicy garlic naan, this laccha onion and a little green chutney on the side makes an absolutely heavenly meal.
The salad also pairs well with almost all Indian curries. I personally love teaming it up with my bhuna gosht curry and a side of creamy masala chaas to finish it all up.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but remember that red onions can be quite pungent. Soaking the onions helps them get more crunchy, and also reduces some of that pungent aroma.
More Salad Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Laccha onion or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Laccha Onion (Laccha Pyaaz)
Ingredients
- 2 red onions
- 1 lime juiced
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 green chili
- 1 teaspoon cilantro
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel and finely slice the onions into thin rings. Add them to a large bowl filled with ice cubes and a little water. Let them soak in the ice water for 15 minutes, then drain the water and pat dry the lachha onions.
- Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl along with the onions.
- Use your hands or two spoons to mix everything well, ensuring that all the onion rings are nicely coated in the spices.
- Allow the salad to rest for a few minutes and then serve.
