FOOD SPECIAL..... FOR THE STARTERS

FOR THE STARTERS Healthy party dips     When it comes to parties, we rarely go beyond egg-mayo or hung curd dips. But serving a low-cal dip with sticks of raw vegetables and fruits teases the palate and is a healthier option too.     Says food expert Rabiya Mandal, “People are increasingly filling up on appetisers instead of the main course at parties, so healthy bites with slim-down dips are becoming the mainstay.” Foodie Harsha Sabhnani-Bakhru says, “Lentils are becoming the main ingredient in dips. Now, you even have rajma and masoor dal dips, which have a curry flavour or a sambar masala tempering that goes with roast chappati triangles.” The same dip can be made Mediterraneanstyle by switching the flavours and presentation. For instance, change the curry powder to dil and parsely to alter the taste completely. Or go for a layer dip with salsa, bean and sour cream in shot glasses.     Another popular choice is burnt garlic dip. Roast garlic cloves in the oven with olive oil and salt, and mix this pulp with hung yogurt (a very good carrier of flavours). Serve with a topping of fried garlic.      Crudités served with cucumber dip CUCUMBER DIP Ingredients Cucumber: 1 Plain yogurt: 2 cups Fresh dill: 2 tbsp Salt to taste Juice of 1/2 lemon Method Drain yogurt and keep aside. Chill the cucumber in a fridge for a few hours. Remove and grate or dice finely. Mix all ingredients in a bowl with the curd and serve cold. Chicken kebabs with salsa dip SALSA DIP Ingredients Tomatoes: 2 Jalapeno: 1 Garlic cloves: 2 (chopped) Salt to taste Sugar: A pinch Method Grill the tomatoes and jalapeno. Cool and remove the core from the tomatoes and the stem from the jalapeno. Blend with the garlic. Add a tiny pinch of sugar for taste. Serve with hot kebabs or fish fingers. Beetroothummus dip with tortilla chips BEETROOT & HUMMUS DIP Ingredients Chickpeas: 300 gm (boiled) Garlic clove: 2 (crushed) Beetroot: 200 gm (boiled) Juice of 1 lemon Salt to taste Method Blend beetroot, chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice. Season and blend again. Serve with tortilla chips. Creamy avocado dip AVOCADO DIP Ingredients Avocados: 3 Sour cream: 1/2 cup Cilantro: 1/2 cup (chopped) Juice of 1 lemon Jalapeno: 1 (de-seeded and chopped) Salt to taste Method Peel the skins of the avocados. Blend them. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, cilantro, jalapeno and salt, and blend again. Serve with vegetables or chips. (Use sour cream made from low-fat milk) Spinach dip SPINACH DIP Ingredients Baby spinach: 500 gm Low-fat cream: 150 ml Garlic: 1 clove (minced) Nutmeg: A pinch Salt and black pepper to taste Method Blanch spinach in hot water and then wash under cold water. Squeeze dry. Chop it finely and add to the cream, garlic and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Chill before serving.

Ismat Tahseen TL130929