Flavours of Tigris combs together the street food of Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Here the chef whips up three dips that go well with the quintessential pita bread or even crackers. They can lift your starters also by a few notches. Muhammara is a rich dip, but low on calories and perfect to serve with breads (khubaz), pita and lavash. Tahina (Tahini) is a typical Mediterranean dip made from hung curd, while Babaganoush brings in the texture of coarse eggplant.
Muhammara
Ingredients
2 red bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 onion (small)
2 tbsp hot pepper paste
¾ bread crumbs (toasted)
150 gms walnut (ground)
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp pomegranate syrup
1 tbsp yoghurt
1-2 tsp cumin seeds (coarsely ground)
Salt to taste
150 ml olive oil
Turkish flat bread
Method
Roast peppers over the flame until the skin is blackened. Put it in a tightly closed paper bag for 10 minutes. Then remove the skin and seeds and mash the peppers in a food processor. Set aside. Mix it together with garlic, onion, hot pepper paste, bread crumb and walnut. When well mixed add lemon juice and pomegranate syrup. Add yogurt and cumin and salt to taste. Slowly add the olive oil and blend well. For a richer flavour make it a day ahead, it stays well in the refrigerator for about two days. Serve at room temperature on pieces of Turkish flat bread, pide, or plain crackers.
Babaganoush
Ingredients
2 kgs eggplant (round)
225 gms Tahina (Tahini) paste
Salt to paste
Pepper to taste
50 gms garlic (chopped)
15 gms parsley (chopped)
10 gms mint (chopped)
60 ml olive oil (extra virgin)
15 ml lime juice
Method
Oil the eggplants and roast them in clay oven or combination oven at 150 degree Celsius for 25 minutes or till they are well roasted. Cover the roasted eggplant with a kiln wrap for 30 minutes to soften the skin. Peel the eggplants and remove the excessive seed and chop them coarsely and then add garlic, parsley, mint, tahina paste, the seasoning and mix them all well. Add lime juice and cool it. Serve along with traditional pita bread.
Tahina dip
Ingredients
90 gms Tahina (Tahini) paste
250 gms hung curd
10 ml lime juice
30 ml olive oil (extra virgin)
30 ml cream (optional)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Method
Take the hung curd in a bowl. Mix the tahina paste with salt, pepper, cream and lime juice. Finish it with olive oil.
Cool and serve cold.
Chef Anurudh Khanna, Executive Chef, The Park, is spearheading the Flavours of Tigris festival, on at Mist till November 28.
