One of the biggest advantages of dips is that you can serve them with anything — from kebabs to crudités and even good ol’ potato wafers! Most of these last for up to a week at least in the fridge and when you have sudden

guests, all you have to do is prettily arrange them on a platter along with a few nibbles, pour out drinks and you’re done. These dips also make a great sandwich spread along with some fresh veggies or grilled chicken.

Caramel orange sauce
Ingredients

1 cup of demerara sugar
2 tbsp of flour
1½ tbsp of unsalted butter
1 tsp of vanilla essence
1 tsp of orange zest or 2 tsp of Grand Marnier or any orange flavoured liqueur
A pinch of salt
Some water

Method

Mix the sugar and flour together. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a very low heat and slowly add the flour-sugar mixture to this followed by the salt. Keep stirring continuously until it has all melted and gradually add water to adjust the consistency. Add the vanilla essence to this and allow it to simmer gently for about 30 seconds. Just after turning off the flame add the orange zest or liqueur, if you’re using the orange zest then strain the sauce once it is a little cool. Warm the sauce in the microwave for about a minute before serving.
Following a heavy meal, arrange a platter with cookies, fresh fruit and pieces of cake with a bowl of this sauce in the centre. Encourage guests to make their own combinations on toothpick skewers and use this sauce to dip. Alternatively, serve this with grilled apples and cinnamon sugar for a warm, wintry dessert.

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Grilled Corn salsa
Ingredients

2 cobs of corn
1 tomato, chopped
1 green capsicum, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped finely
3-4 black olives, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste
Olive oil

Method

Drizzle some olive oil over the corn and grill them in a pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes, just until the ears of corn have begun to turn orange. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down. Once they’ve come to room temperature, cut the corn kernels using a knife. Place the corn kernels in a bowl and mix all the other ingredients with this, drizzle the olive oil on top. Serve immediately with some nachos for a filling snack.

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Lebanese delight
Ingredients

2 cups of curd
½ cup of cucumber, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp of fresh lemon zest
1 tsp of dried thyme
Salt to taste
Olive oil

Method

Place all the curd in a cheese cloth, twist it around and hang it in a cool, dry place for about an hour till the curd has lost most of the moisture. Remove the curd from the cloth and transfer into a bowl. Now add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Chill for half an hour before serving. This dip goes well with spicy Indian fare like kebabs, as the coolness of the yogurt and cucumber are a perfect foil for the spices.

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Cheese and roasted red pepper dip
Ingredients

1 cup of cheddar or Parmesan cheese, grated
2 red bell peppers
1 ½ tbsp of sour cream
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp of minced garlic
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste
Olive oil

Method

Roast the red peppers on an open flame until they are charred; place them in a zip lock bag until they have cooled down. This makes it easier to peel them. Take the skin out and chop the flesh into chunks. In a blender, place these chunks along with the cheese, sour cream, garlic, lemon juice and salt, blend well and pour in some olive oil to give it a smooth texture. Add the red chilli flakes to this and adjust the seasoning. Serve with crackers or even tiny pieces of toasted garlic bread.

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Guacamole
Ingredients

2 ripe avocados (they should be a dark purple and a little soft to touch)
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green chilli, minced
1 tbsp of fresh lime juice
2 tbsp of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
½ tsp of black pepper powder
Salt to taste

Method

Scoop out the flesh from the avocado, throw away the stones, and mash the flesh into a pulp. To this, add the onion, tomato, green chilli and mix well. Now season with some salt, pepper powder and lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve this with tortillas cut into small pieces and toasted till a light brown.