Category: Dips to lift your spirits up!

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Daily crunchy Guacamole

On By lavinamehraIn Dips to lift your spirits up!Leave a comment
Living in Kenya is a blessing when it comes to availability of fresh vegetables and flowers . It is such a delight to have avocados in abundance and pay less than 40 cents for a big one. Getting raw avocados , tracking them each day as they ripe, move them into the refrigerator and then savour them every morning at breakfast time is kind of a ritual for us now. Here is a simple recipe for a crunchy guacamole that I make every day. I like broccoli and green pepper finely chopped to get the crunch and fresh feel. You could replace these with spring onions or regular onion or with any other raw crunchy vegetable you fancy. I add a bit of lemon juice, coriander leaves, hot green chillies too. A bit of salt and a pinch of all spice (गरम मसाला) makes it yummy!

 

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Pesto with a twist- Curry leaves pesto

On By lavinamehraIn Dips to lift your spirits up!, Less than 10 minutes Quicker Recipes2 Comments

SERVES: 2

GLUTEN FREE

Why this recipe? How is it green? How am I contributing to making this earth green by following four steps or less recipes?

It is green in colour so it is GREEN! Ha ha! jokes apart, this preparation is made with curry leaves full of a unique flavour and antioxidants. Curry leaves also have many medicinal benefits.

Quick to make, healthy choice, great to store, no cooking required. Pesto

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch of curry leaves, approximately 10 strands of leaf stems
1 handful of pine nuts or pecans or walnuts
1 medium size lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
4 cloves of garlic grated or 2 square inch of frozen garlic
25 grams grated ginger or 2 square inch of frozen grated ginger
2 hot green chillies

STEPS:

STEP 1. Put all the ingredients in blender and puree it.
STEP 2. Voila! Pesto with a twist is ready. Use it as a dip or spread on sandwich or pizza base or over pasta.

HANDY TIPS:
1. Add more or less oil or lemon juice as per your liking.
2. Store this pesto in refrigerator in an airtight container for days.
3. Be creative – add some mint or basil leaves for another twist.

Colourful Beet Dip-दही गुलाबो चटनी

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Calorie wise nutritious home made spread 
Gluten Free, quick to make 
Packed with Minerals, Vitamins and Antioxidants
Ingredients:
500 grams greek yogurt
One small beet root
1 teaspoon salt
1spring onion chopped small
2 inch frozen crushed green chilli (optional)
2 cloves of crushed garlic fresh or frozen
Preparation:
If you do not use greek yogurt, you will need to extract water from regular yogurt.For this put yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it for 1-2 hours for the water to drain out.
STEPS:
Step 1. Chop beetroot very small by hand or in a chopper and cook in microwave for 1 minute to make it tender.
Step 2. Add salt, beetroot, spring onion, frozen chopped garlic, and frozen crushed green chilli  to greek yogurt or block of yogurt.
Step 3. Mix everything thoroughly and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Handy Tips:IMG_2163

1. Beetroot yogurt dip can be served with baked naan bread, corn wafers,  crackers or thin savoury biscuits.
2. You can be as creative as you want to be , add other herbs like dill weed, rosemary, basil, mint, coriander or spices like red chilli pepper, black pepper.
2. You can also add finely chopped bell peppers, mushrooms or cucumber, going even further you could add bacon pieces.

SPICY COCONUT DIP-नारियल की चटनी

On By lavinamehraIn Dips to lift your spirits up!, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Gluten Free, quick and nutritious

It is a complete food rich in calories, vitamins, and minerals.

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
For Dip:
200 grams frozen shredded coconut
50 grams of dry roasted chickpea or peanuts
2 fresh green chilli or 1 inch of frozen crushed green chilli
100 ml milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 inch of frozen grated ginger

For Garnish:
1 teaspoon of oil
1 tablespoon of black mustard seeds
10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
2 whole dried red chilli

STEPS:
STEP 1. Put all ingredients for coconut dip in a food processor/grinder until it forms a smooth paste, keep adding milk if needed and let it grind for a minute or two for shredded coconut to get smooth.
STEP 2. For garnish, heat oil in a small ladle, add mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves until lightly roasted.
STEP 3. Add this to the dip, mix well, let it sit for 15-20 minutes for flavour of garnish to permeate.

IMG_1612HANDY TIPS:

  1. You can use fresh or frozen shredded coconut, the taste of the dip will be the same.
  2. roasted chickpeas can be replaced with peanuts or almonds, they will give the same smoothness and a different flavour to the dip.

Cucumber Dill Yogurt Dip-खीरा दही की सदाबहार चटनी

On By lavinamehraIn Dips to lift your spirits up!1 Comment

Gluten Free
Loaded with goodness of yogurt and coolness of cucumber
Quick to make  
Ingredients:
500 grams greek yogurt
One medium cucumber grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry dill weed or fresh chopped dill leaves
2 inch frozen crushed green chilli (optional)
25 grams of cut coriander leaves
2 cloves of crushed garlic fresh or frozen
Preparation:
If you do not use greek yogurt, you will need to extract water from regular yogurt.For this put yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it for 1-2 hours for the water to drain out.
STEPS:
Step 1. Grate cucumber and add 1/2 teaspoon salt to it, leave it for 5  minutes and then squeeze water out of it.
Step 2. Add salt, grated cucumber, dill, coriander leaves, garlic (fresh or frozen), and frozen crushed green chilli  to greek yogurt or block of yogurt.
Step 3. Mix everything thoroughly. Let it rest for some time or serve immediately.

Handy Tips:IMG_1598

1. This dip goes well as a spread for sandwiches, gyros, shawarma, as a dip with grilled veggies, meats, baked naan bread, corn wafers,  crackers or thin savoury biscuits.
2. You can be as creative as you want to be, add spring onion or other herbs like chives, rosemary, basil, mint, or spices like red chilli pepper, black pepper.

BROCCOLI ALMOND YOGURT DIP-हरी गोभी,बादाम और दही की चटनी

On By lavinamehraIn Dips to lift your spirits up!Leave a comment

Calorie wise Nutritious home made spread 
Gluten Free, quick to make  
Ingredients:
500 grams greek yogurt
One 50 grams floret of broccoli cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
30 grams of crushed almonds
1 tablespoon dry dill weed or 25 grams cut fresh dill or 10 crushed mint leaves
2 inch frozen crushed green chilli (optional)
2 cloves of crushed garlic fresh or frozen
Preparation:
If you do not use greek yogurt, you will need to extract water from regular yogurt.For this put yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it for 1-2 hours for the water to drain out.
STEPS:
Step 1. Boil Broccoli in water for 3-4 minutes or cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes to make it tender.
Step 2. Add salt, broccoli, crushed almonds, garlic, and frozen crushed green chilli  to greek yogurt or block of yogurt.
Step 3. Mix everything thoroughly in a blender and add olive oil (optional)

Handy Tips:IMG_1623

 

1. This dip goes well with grilled veggies, meats, baked naan bread, corn wafers,  crackers or thin savoury biscuits.
2. You can be as creative as you want to be, add spring onion or other herbs like chives, rosemary, basil, mint, or spices like red chilli pepper, black pepper.

Spinach Pecan Yogurt Dip-दही पालक की चटनी

On By lavinamehraIn Dips to lift your spirits up!Leave a comment

Healthy home made alternative to high calorie readymade dips
Gluten Free, quick to make and nutritious 
Ingredients:
500 grams greek yogurt
10 nuggets of frozen spinach or 200 grams of fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1 tea spoon of oil ( for sautéing spinach)
1 tablespoon of olive oil (optional)
30 grams of crushed pecans
1 tablespoon of seasoning of your choice
2 inch frozen crushed green chilli (optional)
2 cloves of crushed garlic fresh or frozen
Preparation:
If you do not use greek yogurt, you will need to extract water from regular yogurt.For this put yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it for 1-2 hours for the water to drain out.
STEPS:
Step 1. If frozen, thaw and cook spinach in microwave for 3-4 minutes and remove all water. Sauté spinach and garlic in  a pan.
Step 2. Add salt, sautéed spinach, seasoning, frozen crushed green chilli and pecans to greek yogurt or block of yogurt drained in muslin cloth.
Step 3. Mix everything thoroughly and add olive oil (optional).
Handy Tips:IMG_1488
1. Spinach yogurt dip can be served cold or warm (serve as you make it warm sautéed spinach or heat up in Microwave for 30 seconds) to go with baked naan bread, corn wafers,  crackers or thin savoury biscuits.
2. You can be as creative as you want to be , add spring onion or other herbs like dill weed, rosemary, basil, mint, coriander or spices like red chilli pepper, black pepper.
2. You can also add finely chopped bell peppers, mushrooms or cucumber.

Avocado Chive Yogurt Dip- अवोकाड़ो दही का चक्का चटनी

On By lavinamehraIn Dips to lift your spirits up!, UncategorizedLeave a comment
thumb_IMG_1382_1024Gluten Free, quick and nutritious
Ingredients:
500 grams greek yogurt
1 ripe large avocado
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon all spice powder
10-12 strands of chives chopped
Preparation:
If you do not use greek yogurt, you will need to extract water from regular yogurt.For this put yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it for 1-2 hours for the water to drain out.
STEPS:
Step 1. Mash Avocado
Step 2. Add salt, mashed avocado, frozen crushed green chilli, chives, lemon juice and all spice powder to greek yogurt or block of yogurt in muslin cloth.
Step 3. Mix everything thoroughly and it is ready to enjoy.
AvocodoHandy Tips:
1. You can be as creative as you want to be , replace  chives with other herbs like spring onion, dill weed, rosemary, basil, mint, coriander or spices like red chilli pepper, black pepper.
2. You can also add finely chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms or cucumber.