9 yogurt dips from around the world
Yogurt dips are delicious for adding a fresh flavor to a spicy dish. Or to dip into with a piece of bread when having drinks. Here are a number of popular yogurt-based dips, from India to the United States.
The book DIPS by Ramon Brugman presents yogurt dips from around the world:
India – raita & korma dip
Raita is a fresh cucumber-yogurt dip. ‘’I don’t just eat raita with Indian dishes, but with anything spicy. It has such a wonderfully fresh flavor. The interesting thing about this recipe is that it contains salt and sugar. That isn’t common in fresh recipes, but here it is precisely what makes this dip so delicious.’’ Raita goes wonderfully with chicken tandoori; you can find the recipe here.
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In India, the chicken korma stew is very popular, but Ramon Brugman creates a vegetarian dip version. ‘’Korma is one of my favorite stews. The sauce usually served with it is made with yogurt, tomato and spices and has a creamy flavor. The dish is often finished with almonds or cashews.’’ You can find the recipe here.
Russia – smetana
In Russia, they also prefer dipping into dairy, but in their own variation: smetana. ‘’Smetana is a dairy product that is widely eaten in northeastern Russia. It is available in different fat percentages and is used for cooking and baking. It is firmer than crème fraîche and barely melts when heated. I make a delicious dip with it using salmon roe and smoked salmon.’’ You can find the recipe here.
Greece – tzatziki & tirokafteri
In Greece, they naturally use Greek yogurt for their dips. Tzatziki, for example, is a very popular dip with pretty much all Greek dishes. ‘’It pairs well with everything. Adding a little mint in particular makes it special. For the yogurt, preferably choose a variety with 10% fat. You can also replace the yogurt with goat’s quark. This gives you a very rich flavor.’’ Here is the recipe.
Less well known, but certainly no less delicious, is the yogurt-cheese dip called tirokafteri. ‘’A typical Greek dip. The literal translation of tirokafteri is ‘spicy cheese’, and it is made very often in Greek cuisine. It is an easy recipe that is ready in no time.’’ In this dip, Greek yogurt is mixed with feta and red chili pepper. So if you prefer a little more cheese and heat in your yogurt dip, make this recipe.
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United States – Caesar dip & cottage cheese-chive dip
Do you love the popular Caesar salad with garlic, anchovies and Parmesan cheese? Then you’ll also enjoy this Greek yogurt-based dip. ‘’This dip has the flavor of the world-famous Caesar salad. This salad actually originated out of sheer necessity. There simply weren’t any other ingredients available in the kitchen. Later, people came back and asked for the same salad. Brilliant, right!’’
The cottage cheese-chive dip is a mix of full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese. ‘’Cottage cheese is also called hüttenkäse. It is a soft, grainy quark/cheese. It is low in fat and carbohydrates, which is why cottage cheese is allowed in most diets.’’ This yogurt-cheese dip is combined with chives, parsley and paprika powder.
Here is the recipe for the two dips.
South Africa – goreme
Another spicy cheese-yogurt dip is goreme. ‘’Goreme is a spicy cheese dip from South Africa.’’ The dip resembles tirokafteri from Greece but is seasoned slightly differently: thick yogurt is mixed with feta, paprika powder and ground cayenne pepper. You can find the recipe here.
The Netherlands – Groningen mustard-cheese dip
And then back to our own country; this dip is secretly not made with yogurt but with crème fraîche. This dip combines cream cheese, crème fraîche, Groningen mustard and honey for a delicious dip to serve with your drinks platter. ‘’Mustard is a real powerhouse among flavor enhancers. It is made from mustard seeds and vinegar. Its sharp flavor only emerges after you leave the mustard to sit for a while.’’ You can find the recipe here.
Curious about even more dips from around the world? The book DIPS by Ramon Brugman is packed with even more delicious dipping sauces.
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