Exploring a new international food culture can be intimidating.
It means experimenting with new ingredients and being open strange, sometimes weird flavors. And most people thrive on the comfort of the familiar, particularly around meal times. No one wants to pay for a dish at a restaurant or spend time cooking a meal when they don’t know exactly what it will taste like. What if they don’t like it, or wish they had gotten the safe, predictable choice?
I don’t blame them.
On the other hand, exploring new cuisines is also an exciting opportunity! Now more than ever, we have the ability to discover new ingredients and different types of food. It seems a shame to turn down the chance to explore just because we’re a little intimidated. The key is to find a safe entry point, a dish that is easy and familiar enough to serve as the gateway into another culture’s food.
Every culture has a dip . . . or a spread or a schmear. Think about it: no matter where people come from or what flavors they cook with, everyone has at some point created a delicious creamy schmear and hit on an amazing (and usually carb-laden) thing to eat with it. Dips are universal—and easing into a new cuisine through that familiar format can make the new food more relatable.
Dips are also low-risk. Trying out a recipe for a new dip doesn’t require you to risk your entire dinner on a new experimental flavor profile or spend a lot of time or money. Most recipes are simple to make and have only a few ingredients. You might have to pick up a bottle of rice wine vinegar or pomegranate molasses, but you’re not buying an entire pantry’s worth of new food products. '
Each of the three dips below offers an entryway into a different international cuisine. Some flavors will be more familiar while others might require a larger leap of faith.
No matter however adventurous you decide to be, I hope you try the flatbread—it’s one of the easiest, most delicious things I’ve made in a long time. And as everyone knows, no matter where in the world you’re eating your dip, you must have a delicious piece of carbs to dunk it in.
Enjoy!
Simple No-Yeast Flatbread
(Makes 2 flatbread)
4 oz all-purpose flour (~scant 1 cup)*
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ tsp baking powder
4 oz plain full- or low-fat yogurt (~½ cup)
2 tbsp olive oil
Method
Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Make a well and add the yogurt, then stir until combined. Tip out the dough onto a floured surface and knead about a minute, or until the dough forms a smooth ball. The dough will be slightly sticky, and it’s all right to add a little flour to the board, but not too much. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let rest 15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into two equal dough balls. On the same floured surface, roll out each ball until it is an eighth of an inch thick. Be gentle with the dough; it doesn’t contain yeast so it won’t have the elasticity you would expect of a typical bread dough. If you roll it or pull it too thin it might tear.
Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, on high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Swirl the pan so the olive oil is equally distributed. The oil should be very hot but not smoking. Add 1 piece of flatbread to the pan and cook on medium high heat for two minutes, or until golden brown and lightly charred on the bottom. Flip it over and cook 2 more minutes. Remove the flatbread to a plate. Add the second tablespoon oil to the pan and repeat the process with the second flatbread.
Serve warm, drizzled with additional olive oil and sprinkled with extra flaky salt, if desired.
This recipe is inspired by Joshua McFadden, chef of Ava Gene's in Portland.
Tuscan White Bean Dip with Roasted Garlic and Herbs
(Serves 2-4)
½ head garlic, plus two cloves
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Fresh thyme leaves picked from two thyme stalks (about 1 teaspoon)
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle garlic with 1 teaspoon olive oil and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 60 minutes, or until the garlic is jammy and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Place a small skillet over medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil. Heat oil until hot (but not smoking), then add the thyme leaves and immediately remove the skillet from the heat. The herbs may spit a little when they hit the pan; that’s expected.
In a food processor or blender, blend beans and salt. Squeeze the garlic from the ½ head garlic (reserving the additional two cloves) and add to the beans, along with half of the thyme oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon ice water. Blend until light and fluffy.
Taste and season with additional salt and lemon juice. Serve garnished with reserved thyme oil and jammy garlic cloves.
Indian Split Pea Dal
(Serves 4)
1 cup yellow split peas
1 ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus additional to taste
Method
Rinse split peas under cold running water to remove any chaff, the pour into a medium pot. Cover with four cups of cold water and place on the stove over medium-high heat.
When the water starts to boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and turmeric and stir to distribute the seasoning. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the split peas are al dente. They will cook more in the curry later, so don’t overcook at this stage. Remove from the heat and drain, reserving the leftover cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil. Add onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt, and saute over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add cumin and cardamom and cook 1 minute more, just to toast the spices.
Add the cooked, drained split peas to the skillet with the onion mixture and ¾ cup reserved pea-cooking liquid. Simmer and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes, until liquid has reduced and the split peas are well cooked.* Add lemon juice. Taste and season with additional salt and lemon juice to taste.
Serve at warm or room temperature with pita bread.
*The dal will get thicker as it sits. If you have leftover and it’s too thick, feel free to add a little water to loosen the consistency.
Middle Eastern Muhammara
(Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
(Serves 2-4)
2 red bell peppers
2 ½ tablespoon olive oil, divided, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup walnuts, divided
6 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
½ teaspoon chili flake
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus additional as needed
Method
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Rub the bell peppers with ½ tablespoon olive oil and place on a small baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, or until the peppers are softened and charred on the outside. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, transfer to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap for 25 minutes, until the peppers are cool enough to handle. (Covering the peppers effective steams them, which makes it easier to remove the skins later on.)
Meanwhile, decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spread walnuts out on a small baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes, or until the nuts are golden brown inside. Remove from the oven and cool.
Once the peppers are cool, uncover them and transfer to a cutting board. Halve the peppers and remove the stems and seeds. Peel off the skins as best you can (if a bit stays on, that’s fine!)
In a food processor or blender, combine ¼ cup toasted walnuts, garlic, breadcrumbs, and salt, and pulse until combined. Add cleaned red peppers, cumin, chili flake, pomegranate molasses, and remaining olive oil, and pulse until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, pulse, taste, and add more juice if you think it needs more pop.
Serve garnished with reserved toasted walnuts and additional olive oil.
*Volumetric measurements are estimates based on general accepted equivalents. This recipe has not been tested with them.
Originally posted April 18, 2020.