Sweet and tangy dips

The word chutney brings to the mind a mix of hot, tangy, sweet and piquant flavours. The word itself means “to lick”. On the other hand, a dip is used to enhance the taste of a bite by adding texture to the food along with flavour.

Super Healthy Spinach Curd Dip

Ingredients

• 1 cup hung curd
• ½ cup spinach blanched and chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp garlic paste
• 2-3 green chillies chopped
• ½ tsp ginger chopped
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup walnuts crushed
• ½ tsp pepper
• Salt to taste

Method

Mix every ingredient together reserving some walnuts and pomegranate seeds for topping. Serve with crudites, lavash or pita chips for a healthy start to a meal.

Strawberry chutney

Ingredients

• 1 small box strawberry
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp chat masala
• ¾ tsp black salt
• ½ tsp roasted jeera powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Method

Wash the berries and grind all the ingredients in the mixer. Mix well and serve chilled with salads or spread on the bread.

Chilly Bean Dip

Ingredients

• 1 can baked beans
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 1 capsicum chopped finely
• ¼ cup red chilli sauce
• ½ cup cooking cheese
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt to taste

Method

Coarsely mash the beans and keep aside. Heat the butter and oil. Sauté the onion and capsicum, add the beans and all other ingredients except cheese. Adjust consistency with water, simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheese. Serve with nacho chips, crisp toast, savoury biscuits or as a sandwich or tortilla spread.

Chilli Lime Peanut Chutney

Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted peanuts
•  5-6 dried red chillies soaked in water
• ½ tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Zest of 2 lemons
• Salt to taste

Method

Squeeze out the water from the chillies. Put everything in a grinder and grind. Now add ½ cup of water and blend again. This chutney should not be finely ground but a little coarse. Serve with pineapple, raw papaya thinly sliced, sticks of carrots and cucumber, dimsums etc.

Curd garlic dip

Ingredients

• ½ cup curd
• 2 green chillies
• 2 pods garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt to taste

Method

Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for four hours. Grind the chillies and garlic in mortar and pestle into a paste. Take the hung curd in a bowl and whisk it well until fluffy. Add the chilly-garlic mix. Add the oregano flakes and salt.
Keep it refrigerated . Use it as salad dressings and dips with breads.

Walnut Pomegranate Pesto

Ingredients

• 50 gm walnuts
• 50 gm dry pomegranate
• 2 green chillies
• A few mint leaves
• Salt to taste
• Water for grinding.

Method

Soak the pomegranate and walnut for one hour. Then grind all the ingredients together in a grinder. Serve this chunky or pesto with cheese sandwich or bhajis.

— Compiled by  Namrata Srivastava