Dip it

Don’t we all love dips? If you are tired of eating boiled veggies, grab a dip and voila! It will taste  amazing. Today, there are endless varieties of dips available in the market. Sweet, sour or spicy, creamy or light, but are the dips healthy to consume? The sugars, preservatives and calories in off-the-shelf dips make them less nutritious. But dips can be healthy. Talking to chefs and food experts, we find healthy recipes that can be easily made at home. 

Anirudh Ganeriwal, culinary head, Food Darzee, believes that most readymade dips and sauces have a lot of added fats, sugar and other unnecessary ingredients that can add excess calories to your meal. “Commercial dips are often made with soya bean oil, corn oil or other vegetable oil blends that are very high in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are essential to human health, but if you tend to consume more omega-6 and not enough omega-3, this unhealthy ratio (to which dips and other processed foods contribute) increases your risk of serious health conditions,” says Ganeriwal. 

He adds that though sugar enhances the flavour, texture and sometimes the colour of dips and sauces, it also has a negative effect on the body. “If dips are consumed in large amounts on a daily basis, it can have adverse health effects and may lead to weight gain,” Ganeriwal points out.  

Aakash Sachdev, executive sous chef, Four Points by Sheraton Hotel and Serviced Apartments, Pune, says that fresh and local produce like carrot, pumpkin, tomato, avocado, beetroot, baby spinach and garlic cloves should be used to make healthy dips. “However, one must not only concentrate on the key ingredient but also opt for a  healthy oil and cream or yoghurt to form the base of the dip or sauce. “Use fresh garden ingredients and if needed include seasonal fruits or any international ingredient to enhance the flavour,” he says. 

It is obvious that the party tray can be too tempting to resist with all the creamy and salty dips. Chef Balaji from DoubleTree by Hilton Pune Chinchwad says that even though picking up a good dip from a supermarket seems to be good idea because it is convenient, there is nothing like whipping up one. “When it comes to dips or even sauces for that matter, both sweet and savoury, a person can just let their imagination guide them to make a good one, and since you make it at home, you will use the best of ingredients and make it as per your liking and taste,” he says. 

He points out that Arabic dip hummus is an all time favourite among Indians because it goes well with anything. He, however says, one can also make use of Indian lentils and proteins to create their own healthy hummus. 

Firoz Patel, head chef, Fairfield by Marriott Pune, Kharadi, says that one can enjoy dips the healthy way by just swapping the heavier ingredients for things like chickpeas, avocados, dates, carrots, mint, apples, cumin, caramel and basil. “A little coconut milk makes dips and sauces creamy without using dairy and if you don’t have coconut milk, use the substitute with low-sodium soy sauce plus a drop or two of honey,” Patel adds. 

He points out that ‘no cook’ dips or sauces make snack-time easier. Kiran Suvarna, executive chef, Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort and Spa, suggests that no-cook dips are healthy because you save a lot of nutritional values of the ingredients when kept raw. “Hacks to make a good and easy dip is always to use a hand blender or a food processor to throw all your ingredients in and give it a good blend if you want it smooth, or use pulse button to keep a coarse texture,” says Suvarna. 

Guacamole
Ingredients 

• Ripe avocado (diced in 2).....
• Raw broccoli, finely chopped.....100 gm
• Tomato, diced.....1
• Onion.....1
• Garlic.....2 to 3
• Lemon juice.....5 ml
• Fresh coriander chopped (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method

• Mix all the ingredients properly except the avocados.
• Add the avocados.
• Gently fold them in so that there are still some chunks.
• Season with salt.
• Tip: Roasted pumpkin seeds give classic guacamole an unexpected and tasty crunch.

(Recipe by Firoz Patel, head chef, Fairfield by Marriott Pune Kharadi) 

Grilled Artichoke and Beetroot Hummus
Ingredients 

• Artichoke.....1
• Beetroot....1
• Mint leaves.....10

For Hummus

• Boiled chickpeas.....150 gm
• Olive oil.....20 ml
• Garlic.....10 gm
• Tahini paste.....8 ml
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice.....5 ml

Mustard Pickle Aioli

• Pickled garlic...    20g m
• Hung curd...    150 gm
• Salt to taste
• Pommery grain mustard.....5 gm
• Lemon rind a pinch

Method 

• Add all the ingredients mentioned under hummus into a food processor to blend it till soft and a little fluffy consistency and remove it into a bowl.
• Cut beetroot and artichoke into small dices and mix with torn pieces of mint leaves.
• Mix the above well and put it in a jar.
• Collect all the ingredients mentioned under Mustard Pickle Aioli in a bowl.
• Mix all well with folding method and put in a presenting jar.

(Recipe by Aakash Sachdev, executive sous chef, Four Points by Sheraton Hotel and Serviced Apartments, Pune)

Beetroot Emulsion With Quinoa, Black Olive Powder
Ingredients

• Beetroot...    ..150 gm
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil.....10 ml (save some to drizzle on top)
• Tahini.....100 gm
• Lime juice.....1 
• Curd.....30 gm
• Salt and pepper to taste

To Garnish

• Quinoa, boiled.....15 gm
• Shallots, chopped.....5 gm
• Tomato, chopped.....    5 gm
• Parsley
• Olive powder or chopped olives

Method
Blend all the ingredients to achieve a coarse consistency and garnish. 
(Recipe by Kiran Suvarna, executive chef, Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa)