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.