Crazy about dips

Mexican salsa
Ingredients

• 3 small tomatoes, diced  
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tbsp jalapeno, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander,  chopped
• ½ tbsp grounded cumin powder
• ½ tbsp salt

Method: Deseed the tomatoes and dice them, then combine this with chopped onions and jalapenos. To that mixture add lemon juice, fresh chopped coriander and olive oil. Adjust seasoning with salt and grounded cumin powder.

Tzatziki
Ingredients

• 300 gm yoghurt
• ½ cup cucumber grated, drained
• ½ tbsp garlic
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dill leaves
• Salt to taste

Method: Hang the yoghurt overnight, in a muslin cloth to drain out all the water. Drain the excess water from the cucumber and combine it with the hung yoghurt. To that add the olive oil and red wine vinegar, season with salt. Garnish with chopped dill leaves. Lime juice and coriander can also be used for garnishing.

Spicy chimichurri sauce
Ingredients

• 1 bunch of coriander, separated from the stems.
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 green chillies (or jalapenos)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp regular salt
• Juice of 1 medium lime

Method: Finely chop and blend all the ingredients together except lemon and olive oil. Meanwhile, cut the lime in half and grill it  for a while until it is charred with grill marks. Grilling is optional. Transfer the coriander-mixture to a bowl and squeeze lime juice into it. Add the olive oil to the mixture, little by little, while mixing it well.

— Recipe courtesy,  Prashanthi, Food blogger, yummilyyours.com

Tomato dip
Ingredients

• 900 gm ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, sliced
• 2 handfuls of fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp tamarind pulp
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp urad dal
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp whole cumin seeds
• 8-10 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed

Method: In a bowl add the tomatoes and crush them as much as possible. To that add the onions, chillies, coriander and half a tsp of salt, tamarind paste, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Set a pan over medium heat and add oil. When the oil gets hot, add the urad dal. As soon as it starts to turn reddish add mustard seeds. When it starts to pop, add the curry leaves.

Then, add the tomato mixture, reduce the heat to a medium low and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until the sauce has thickened, in about 20-25 minutes. Taste, add the other half tsp of salt if needed. Cool a bit, then blend to a thick sauce. This is used as a chutney, but it also makes for a great dip for nachos, or potato chips.