Saturday, December 26, 2009

When in doubt, dip



They're easy to make and if you're throwing a party, they can save you some: serve your guests an appetiser of chips and dips (you should give them some variety) and you'll be free to finish up in the kitchen.

While the ratio of chips to dip is usually 3:1 at least (as in a bagful of chips to a rice bowlful of dip; I find myself prefering to skip the chips and just spoon the dip and eat it as is. Chips? They just get in the way ... and who needs those extra carbs anyway.

At a Christmas eve pre party recently (there have been a slew of parties this year), my friend Melody prepared three types of dips. I love Melody's parties because  she always has some interesting dips, all of which are vegetarian. (Of course that's not the only reason I love her parties... come on.)

This year, one particular dip caught my fancy: a pumpkin + carrot concoction was was creamy, slightly sweetish and just a lovely shade of orange. Almost peachy.

I skipped the chips but used the dip as a condiment for the roast pumpkin and yams she prepared. Divine.

Melody said that yoghurt was the only thing she added to the dip and intrigued I went home to try to make a variation of the dip.

I roasted my pumpkin and steamed some carrots till both were soft, almost mushy but not quite. Transferred both to the blender (if your quantity is a lot, blend in batches); added some salt and pepper, yoghurt, a tbsp honey, some chopped coriander and one (just one) clove of  garlic and blended. I kept the consistency of my dip thick but if you prefer a thinner consistency, you can add some water or milk. Also, I held back on the yogurt a little as I wanted to the taste of the pumpkin to come out more. Oh yes, and a sprinkle of paprika on top.

This bowl of dip I made for myself and it lasted me two days. I barely dipped; mostly I scooped with a spoon. And that's the beauty of dipping alone: you can double dip (a huge No-No at parties) and you even scoop.

If you like this recipe, check out:

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