Homemade Dips and Chutneys

Dips and salad dressings always take a back seat while planning a meal. Shop-bought dips or chutney turn snacks or salads into not-so-healthy boring stuff. So, don on your health-conscious cap and turn the usual salad dressings or dips into something low-calorie, refreshing and exotic. These promise to tingle the palate and increase your craving of salads and also give you a healthy side dish for your crisps and munchies.

You can also make your party snacks the talk of the town with these delicious and unique dips. They not only enhance the taste of the snacks but also add up to the nutrition value of the snacks. Even the boring snacks, that people want to give a miss, can be eye-catching and mouth-watering with these dips. 

Raw mango raisin and jaggery dip

Cook time: 5 mins plus  

Serves: 4 

Type: Dip 

Ingredients: 

Raw mango finely shredded: 2 cups 

Raisins: 2 tbsp 

Mint leaves: 5 leaves (chopped finely) 

Jaggery: ½ cup (you can adjust it to your taste) 

Salt: ¼ tsp 

Red chilli powder: ½ tsp 

Clove and cinnamon powder: ½ tsp 

Method: 

Boil jaggery with 3tbsp of water. 

When the jaggery melts add raisins, mint leaves and the spices. Cook for 2 mins. 

Add the shredded raw mangoes and cook on a low flame till it is mushy. 

Cool and serve it with spicy kababs or snacks. 

Roasted tomato and onion dip

Cook time: 5 mins plus  

Serves: 4 

Type: Dip 

Ingredients: 

Tomato: 2 medium sized 

Onion: 1 small 

White Urad dal: 2 tbsp 

Red chilli: 2 (adjust according to your taste) 

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp 

Salt: to taste 

Method: 

Roast tomatoes and onion on medium flame. 

In a pan heat a tsp of oil and fry red chillies and urad dal till the dal is golden brown. 

Blend together tomatoes, onion, red chilli and dal with salt. 

Take out in a bowl and add lemon juice. 

This dip goes well with bhajjis.  

Cucumber, coconut and yogurt dip

Cook time: 5 mins  

Serves: 4 

Type: dip 

Ingredients: 

Hung curd: 1 cup 

Cucumber: 1 small (deseeded and chopped finely) 

Green chilli: 1 

Coconut (scraped): 2 tsp 

Lemon juice: ½ tsp 

Salt: to taste 

Method: 

Grind cucumber and chilli coarsely. 

Take a bowl and whisk yogurt 

Add ground cucumber and chilli. Add coconut and lemon juice. 

Add salt to taste.   

Minty tomato flaxseed dressing/ chutney

Cook time: 5 mins  

Serves: 4 

Type: dressing 

Ingredients: 

Mint: 5 leaves 

Tomato: 2 large 

Flaxseeds: 2 tbsp (roasted) 

Lemon juice: ½ tsp 

Olive oil: 3 tbsp 

Crushed pepper and salt: to taste 

Method: 

Coarsely grind mint, tomatoes and roasted flaxseeds. 

Take it out in a bowl. 

Mix in lemon juice, olive oil and the seasonings. 

Tandoori chutney/ dressing

Cook time: 5 mins  

Serves: 4 

Type: dressing  

Ingredients: 

Tandoori masala: 1 tsp 

Tomato chutney: 2 tbsp 

Basil flavoured olive oil: 2 tbsp 

Curd: ¼ cup 

Salt: to taste 

Method: 

Take a bowl and whisk curd and tandoori masala. 

Stir in the chutney and olive oil. 

Check the seasoning. 

Choose from an array of condiments and fresh vegetables to spice up your life. The delightful journey of dips and chutneys not only brings in some freshness but also adds nutritive value to your food.