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Prateek Sadhu: Of easy dips & non-bitter karela
An array of dips that you can make at home with ease, and tips and tricks to make sure your bitter gourd preparations are more flavourful
DIY dips
What are the quintessential dips I can make at home?
—Arunima, via Instagram
There’s a lot that go well with flavoured chips, Doritos and pita. Make a yogurt-based dip, which is Mediterranean, with herbs and olive oil. Do a classic hummus or one with lamb mince. Avocado guacamole is a classic. You can buy smoked salmon, chop it up with dill, and add this to sour cream. A good tomato-based option would be to chop up tomato, olive, basil, garlic and mix it with olive oil for a salsa. Always keep hard cheese like Emmental or truffle cheddar or gouda, handy. You can just serve it with some fruit and pita.
Bittersweet symphony
How can I mask the bitterness of karela successfully?
—Keerti, Via Email
What I usually do is rub salt on raw karela and let it sit for a couple of hours. It loses a lot of water, and also its bitter taste. Peel it and let it sit again for half an hour. Stuff the karela with the peels, along with amchur and raisins. You can also add potatoes or khoya. Slow cook it. Finishing it with some acidic masks the bitterness.
Prateek Sadhu is an award-winning chef, whose first restaurant, Masque, is India’s top rated eatery according to Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants 2022
From HT Brunch, September 10, 2022
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