Babagnoush (Eggplant Dip)

Babagnoush is cousin brother of Hummus that uses chicpeas instead of Eggplant (baigan). Interestingly, there is a third cousin called mamagnoush which uses Zucchini instead of eggplant.

Basil Pesto

Basil pesto is super easy to make and once you make it at home, you would think twice before buying it from store :) The classic use of pesto is for pasta, sandwiches, and bruschetta.

Muhammara - Remembering Turkey

Like Guacamole for Mexicans, Chimichurri for Argentinians, Hummus for Middle Easterns, Muhammara (a walnut and red bell pepper dip) is for Turks. Now, I don't remember why we zeroed down for a vacation in Turkey (couple of years back) but it was an excellent idea! Baklava, Turkish apple tea, historical monuments, Turkish delights, Turkish carpets, Turkish Haman's and the people ---oh I want to go again......

Almond Butter and the Extensions!

Almond is one of the most versatile nut in the families of nuts. Many Indian kids eat almonds (soaked overnite) every morning to increase their brain power (however I am yet to find any scientific study behind that until then I would assume that its a strategy used by parents to make the kids eat almonds). Anyways, other than their brain enhancing powers, I like almond (Badam) Burfi and badam halwa which are common desserts in India. Marzipan is probably the counterpart of badam halwa in Europe and US wherein its used in chocolates, tarts, cake decorations and what not!

Hummus

After multiple unsuccessful attempts at making Hummus along with making Tahini, I finally gave up on Tahini. Little did I know that all the trouble was Tahini. Some things are better store bought :) Enjoying the homemade hummus ever since...