MEXICAN 7 LAYERED DIP

This dip is a dish in its own right! Its a great party appetizer that borrows elements from the tex-mex cuisine, and is served with nachos or tortillas. We served this dip with baked nachos. You can find the recipe here. This tastes best when made ahead of time so that the flavours meld well together.

SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

For the refried beans:

100 gm kidney beans or rajma, boiled

1 tsp minced garlic

¼ cup tomato paste or puree

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp oregano dried

1 tsp mexican seasoning (any)

salt to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

For the salsa:

1 onion finely chopped

3 tomatoes deseeded and finely chopped

1 green chilli deseeded and chopped

½ tsp minced garlic

salt to taste

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp chopped coriander

For the curd layer:

2 cups hung curd/ yoghurt

1 tsp lime juice

½ tsp minced garlic

¼ cup chopped parsley

salt to taste

Other layers:

1 cup guacamole (recipe here)

1 cup iceberg lettuce torn

1 cup mixed vegetables sliced (onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, purple, cabbage) seasoned with salt, pepper and oregano

½ cup jalapeno and olives sliced

METHOD

For the 1st layer - Heat a pan with oil in it. Add the garlic and saute till translucent.
Next add the tomato puree/paste and cook till the raw smell goes away.
Now add the boiled kidney beans and all the seasonings and cook for 5 min.
You can add about half a cup of the water from the boiled beans to make the texture a little mushy.
For the 2nd layer - Mix all the ingredients well and chill.
For the 3rd layer - Beat the curd well. Add all the remaining ingredients and whisk.
To assemble - Take a flat bottomed glass bowl. Spread flat the layers one by one, covering all corners well.
The order is - refried beans, salsa, yoghurt dip, guacamole, lettuce, mixed vegetables and lastly, olives and jalapenos.
Serve with tortillas or nacho chips. You can find the recipe for baked nachos here.