Shakarob (Шакароб) — Tajik Tomato-Onion Bread Salad

• 300 gplain fatir flatbread (torn into bite-size pieces; Tajik non may be used if fatir is unavailable)
• 650 gripe tomatoes
• 160 gred onion (very thinly sliced)
• 180 gseedless cucumber (halved lengthwise and thinly sliced)
• 0.5 bunchfresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems chopped)
• 0.25 bunchfresh dill (fronds chopped)
• 8 gfine sea salt
• 2 gground black pepper
• 30 mlsunflower oil
• 60 mlboiled and cooled water
• 10 mlgrape vinegar (use mild vinegar, not strongly distilled vinegar)

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the fatir in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes per side, just until it smells toasted and bends without cracking. Tear it into bite-size pieces and spread the pieces in a wide shallow serving bowl, leaving them uncovered so they stay slightly crisp while you prepare the salad.

2. 2

   Put the sliced red onion in a mixing bowl with 3 g of the salt and 20 ml of the boiled and cooled water. Massage the onion for 1 minute with clean fingertips, then let it stand for 10 minutes so its sharpness softens and its juices become part of the shakarob dressing.

3. 3

   Cut the tomatoes into 2 cm chunks directly over the onion bowl so none of the juice is lost. Add the cucumber, the remaining 5 g salt, the black pepper, the grape vinegar, the sunflower oil, and the remaining 40 ml water, then fold everything together gently.

4. 4

   Let the tomato mixture stand for 5 minutes, which is the key technique that creates the watery tomato-onion broth for shakarob. Stir in the cilantro and dill only after the tomatoes have released their juice, so the herbs stay fresh and green.

5. 5

   Spoon the tomato, onion, cucumber, herbs, and all the collected juices over the torn fatir. Wait 3 minutes before serving so some bread softens like qurutob while some edges remain chewy and distinct.

6. 6

   Bring the bowl to the table immediately and serve from the center of the dastarkhan with a large spoon. If using Tajik non instead of fatir, add it at the last moment because non absorbs the tomato juices faster and can become too soft.