Upgrade your at-home snack game with the help of the celebrity masterchef.

Dips are a great alternative if you’re looking to change things up but still want to serve something simple, easy, and flavourful to your guests. Making a dip can be a fun process for all foodies too, as there’s a wide array of ingredients you can use to churn, mix and fold to create a delicious bowl that sets the tone for the next course to come! Beyond classic dips that we all know, it’s definitely recommended to try out unusual flavour combinations to keep every platter exciting.

Here are some ideas:

HERBED EGGPLANT AND WALNUT DIP

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized eggplant
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and crushed black pepper to taste
• 2-3 tsp sesame seed paste
• 2-3 tsp tahini paste
• 1/2 cup boiled chickpeas
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 2 tsp chopped parsley
• 2 tsp cream cheese
• 2 tbsp roughly cut walnuts
• 2-3 tsp chilled water

Method:

1. Assemble and pre-prep all the ingredients.
2. Apply little olive oil on the eggplants and cook them on a flame or in the oven until nice and roasted, then peel and mash the pulp.
3. Using a food processor, combine all the other ingredients listed for the dip and mix until it becomes a smooth paste. Adjust the texture with a little olive oil, lime juice, or few drops of chilled water.
4. Remove from the food processor into a serving bowl.
5. Drizzle a little olive oil, add paprika or chilli flakes or chilli sauce on top.
6. Check for seasoning and serve chilled with carrot sticks, celery sticks, radish sticks, etc.

About the Author

Celebrity master chef Dr. Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based author, academician, food health and lifestyle consultant, and coach. He specialises in over 33 international cuisines and has over 21 years of experience working with hotels, airlines, print and television media, the education sector for culinary arts and hospitality management. Chef Kaviraj is certified by the Swiss Hotel Management University and has been a recipient of several national and global awards for excellence in the field of food and the hotel industry. To connect with him, email chefkaviraj249@gmail.com.

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