Dip it up!

A common condiment for some foods....dips! While you prepare the main course for your guests, the guests need to munch on some easy to make starters. Hardly any cooking, not too many ingredients, not even heavy on your stomach! The dip recipes that i will be posting today can be accompanied with Pita Bread, Dumplings, Crackers, cut up raw veggies, roasted meat with cheese, wafers, tortillas, falafels and many more!

Cheesy Curd Dip

Ingredients

• ·         1 Bowl Hung Curd/Creamy Curd (waterless)
• ·         ½ Cup Grated Cheese
• ·         2 Green Chillies – finely chopped
• ·         2 tbsp Coriander Leaves – finely chopped
• ·         2 Small Onions – finely chopped
• ·         1 tsp Sugar – may be a little less as per your taste
• ·         Salt and Crushed Black Pepper as per taste

Method

1. ·         Mix all the ingredients together
2. ·         Cool the dip in the fridge for some time
3. ·         Serve with dry snacks/wafers as mentioned above

Tangy Salsa Dip

Ingredients

• ·         ½ cup onions – finely chopped
• ·         ½ cup capsicum – finely chopped
• ·         1 cup tomato – finely chopped
• ·         2 Green Chillies – finely chopped
• ·         5-6 Cloves Garlic – finely chopped
• ·         2 tbsp Celery/Parsley – finely chopped
• ·         1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• ·         1 tsp Sugar – may be a little less as per your taste
• ·         1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
• ·         Salt and Crushed Black Pepper as per taste
• ·         1 tbsp Olive Oil

Method

• ·         Heat oil in a pan. Add onion, capsicum, green chillies and garlic. Sauté on low flame till the onions become soft and pink
• ·         Add the tomatoes and parsley leaves. Allow it to cook for 5 – 10 mins with the lid covering the pan
• ·         Add the salt, pepper, sugar, Tabasco and tomato ketchup. Cook for another 5 – 7 mins and let it cool
• ·         Once at normal temperature, put in the refrigerator for sometime
• ·         Serve with dry snacks/wafers as mentioned above

Thai Dip

Ingredients

• ·         1 Bowl Peanuts without skin – dry roasted
• ·         ½ Cup Desiccated Coconut
• ·         2 Dry Red Chillies – finely chopped
• ·         3 – 4 Betel Leaves– finely chopped
• ·         5 – 6 cloves Garlic – crushed
• ·         2 – 4 tbsp Coconut Milk
• ·         1 tsp lime juice
• ·         ½ tsp Sugar – may be a little less as per your taste
• ·         Salt as per taste
• ·         1 tbsp Olive Oil

Method

1. ·         In a blender, grind the peanut and desiccated coconut into a fine paste using the coconut milk and keep aside
2. ·         Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic, dry red chillies and the chopped betel leaves
3. ·         Sauté for 5 mins. Add the peanut – coconut paste
4. ·         Add salt, sugar and lime juice and keep stirring for about 2 mins. Remove from heat
5. ·         Let the dip come to room temperature. Transfer into the serving bowl
6. ·         Serve with wafers or grilled vegetables
7. ·         You may even toss up the paste with raw vegetable and make some amazing salad 

I tried them out for my guests last night and was showered with appreciation! Its your turn now! Good luck and happy cooking!

ElAmanteDeLaComida. ..

Nivedita.

Soup Up Your Health

In our hectic modern urban lives we’ve forgotten the art of making highly nutritious and wonderfully delicious foods and so cheaply too. Unfortunately, for the modern urbanite, the knowledge of making nutritious food has vanished in the mists of time  and has been replaced with TV dinners, microwavable chips and all the delights of fast food living.

Personally speaking, of all the different cuisines I have come across, common to all is the soup! Soup is surely the queen of foods! Wonderfully comforting and nourishing, soup is our balm, it fortifies the body, soothes sore throats, clears clogged airways, fights off colds, builds strong bones, and has even been rumoured to improve your love life! Its reputation is that of a health giver! How about trying out few healthy and delicious soup recipes for your family!

Beet the Heat

(Serves 5)

Ingredients

• ·         1 and a ½ cup of finely chopped Beetroot
• ·         ½ cup finely chopped Onions
• ·         ½ cup finely chopped Capsicum
• ·         ½ cup finely chopped French Beans
• ·         ½ cup finely chopped Carrot
• ·         1 cup finely chopped Tomato
• ·         1 tsp Garlic paste
• ·         1 tsp Ginger paste
• ·         1 Litre of Vegetable Stock – For non vegetarians, this could be replaced with Chicken Stock
• ·         1 Bay Leaf
• ·         Herbs – Parsley, Thyme,
• ·         Salt and Crushed Pepper – As per taste
• ·         ½ tsp of Sugar
• ·         1 tbsp Butter
• ·         Celery/Coriander for garnishing
• ·         Fresh Cream/Butter for garnishing

Cook It Up

• ·         Melt butter in a heated pan. Add the garlic and ginger paste along with the bay leaf
• ·         Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for about 5 – 7 mins
• ·         Pour in the vegetable stock and allow the vegetables to cook for another 10 – 12 mins
• ·         Take the pan off the gas and allow the broth to cool
• ·         Using a hand blender (can even use a mixer), coarsely churn the broth
• ·         Put the broth in the pan and bring a boil once more
• ·         Add in the herbs – any herbs that you have at home will do
• ·         Add in the sugar, salt and pepper as per your taste
• ·         Pour into the soup bowls and garnish with butter/fresh cream and celery/coriander
• ·         You may even chill the broth and serve it cold

Forever Young

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• ·         1 Bottle Gourd (Lauki), chopped and blend into puree form
• ·         ½ cup finely chopped Capsicum
• ·         ½ cup finely chopped French Beans
• ·         ½ cup finely chopped Carrot
• ·         1 and a ½ cup of Milk
• ·         Salt and Crushed Pepper – As per taste
• ·         ½ tsp of Sugar
• ·         1 tbsp Butter

Cook It Up

• ·         Heat the butter in a sauce pan. Add the finely chopped vegetables and sauté for about 5 mins
• ·         Add in the Bottle Gourd puree and bring it to boil
• ·         Add in the milk and keep stirring
• ·         And in the sugar (optional), salt and crushed pepper as per your taste
• ·         Boil thoroughly and pour into soup bowls. Serve hot.

Help your family soup up their health with the recipes that I have posted! Do try and let me know your feedback! Meanwhile i shall try out some more amazing soup recipes and will be back tomorrow! Eat healthy...stay healthy!

ElAmanteDeLaComida. ..

Nivedita.