I was visiting my sister-in-law, Sameena, in Gurgaon and she served me this dip one evening while we were having drinks. I was completely in love with it at first bite. The thickened yogurt is doused in olive oil and topped with herbs and chili flakes. Creamy, herby and spicy, this dip is an opera of flavors on your palate and quite addictive. It was the perfect pairing with drinks and a wonderful nibble before dinner.
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Ingredients:
2 cups hung curd or lebneh
3-4 tablespoons chopped herbs including cilantro, mint and others
Pink salt, to taste
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed into a paste
A healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
A generous sprinkling of chili flakes, or to taste
To make the hung curd, drain the Greek yogurt by layering it on a cheese cloth in a fine-mesh strainer and allowing to drain for 8 hours. It should be very thick and hold its shape firmly. There is no need for this step for the lebneh.
Use a melon baller, ice cream scoop or any round spoon wiped liberally with olive oil to scoop out small balls of the yogurt. You may need to wipe the spoon down with oil a few times to get neat scoops.
Sprinkle with salt, the garlic, herbs and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Sprinkle a generous teaspoon, or two, of chili flakes. Keep chilled.
Serve with toasts, crackers or taco chips.