Given its naturally egg-like flavor, it makes sense that black salt works best in vegan versions of recipes that normally call for egg, including vegan scrambled eggs, egg salad, and carbonara. According to Fine Dining Lovers, this egginess comes from a combination of sodium chloride and traces of sulfur compounds. Black salt’s sodium content is a lot lower than regular salt, which means that it doesn’t work as a one-to-one substitute. The best way to use it, therefore, is as a flavor enhancer or spice rather than as a replacement for salt. It works particularly well sprinkled over fried food, and in South Asian cuisine, it is traditionally used in chutney, raita, chaat masala, pickled dishes, and salads.
If you’re unsure how to use black salt in your own cooking, think of it as a vegan cured egg yolk (per Bon Appétit). Cured egg yolks are normally grated over pasta and soup in the same way parmesan is, and they give dishes a funky, salty flavor. Black salt has the same effect, but it works in vegan recipes too, so you’ll definitely want to have this ingredient on hand next time you cook a plant-based meal.