Roasted Tomato Yogurt Dip is a easy recipe of making homemade flavorful yogurt that is blended with spices like black pepper, Pink salt, and roasted Cumin powder and is garnished with fresh mint leaves with a hint of olive oil.
It’s a variation to classic Indian recipe of Tomato Raita recipe. While in Tomato Yogurt, the fresh and raw minced tomatoes are added, this recipe involves baking or roasting tomatoes coated with olive oil and black pepper slowly in OTG or oven.
The melting flavor of tangy tomatoes, the mild sourness in the curd and the savory spices make a perfect tomato yogurt dip that is super easy to make and can be had with rice or toasted bread.
Being an Indian, I have made and tried several Curd or Dahi Recipes: Plain Dahi, Raita with Tomato, onion, boiled potato, Bathua, Carrot, Cucumber and Mishti Doi.
Why Would You Love This Recipe?
Savory Healthy Dip that goes well with toasted bread, finger snacks and rice. Quick and easy recipe. Easily made into Vegan. Kids Friendly. Can be made ahead of time. Simple Ingredients from pantry. The Best Roasted Tomato Yogurt Dip Recipe Ever!
Ingredients
Yogurt- I have used homemade curd. It’s a dairy curd. For dairy free, use any good quality vegan yogurt. I would suggest using plain yogurt to enjoy the flavors that come from tomatoes. Olive Oil- While any vegan or vegetable oil works best, I love the mild sweet and fruity flavor of olive oil. Tomatoes- Tomatoes add a tangy and juicy flavor. You can use canned tomato puree or fresh lemon juice as a substitute if you don’t have fresh tomatoes. But I recommend using fresh and ripe tomatoes for best flavor. Black Pepper- Black pepper provides a mild heat and depth of flavor. Whole black pepper crushed fresh or black pepper powder work well. White pepper or crushed red pepper flakes can be used as alternatives for black pepper. Pink Salt- I love addition of pink salt to yogurts. Regular table salt or sea salt can be used in its place. Cumin Powder-Cumin powder adds an earthy and nutty spice. I prefer dry roasting of cumin seeds and then blending it to make a coarse powder. You may use cumin seeds as well. Mint Powder(Optional)- Dried Mint powder offers a cool and refreshing note. If you don’t have mint powder, you can use fresh mint leaves or cilantro leaves. Fresh Coriander or Cilantro Leaves-
What Is Indian Raita?
Raita is an Indian Yogurt that is not plain. The plain Yogurt is called Dahi in India. When we add minced raw veggies to it, it becomes very flavorful and then it is called Raita! The addition of Pink Salt (Kala Namak), Roasted Jeera Powder (Cumin), Black Pepper, and dried mint powder makes it more delicious. To make it a bit spicy, you may add green chilies to it too. If you are scared and can’t have chilies, either use the red chilly powder or put green chili in a tea strainer and dip the strainer in curd for an hr or so. The curd will absorb the chili from it and you would enjoy it too!
Curd Vs Yogurt
In India, we use the term ‘curd’ or ‘Dahi’. Curd and yogurt are both dairy products, but the key distinction lies in the specific bacterial cultures used during their fermentation processes. Yogurt is made by the bacterial fermentation of milk. which give it a consistent tangy flavor and creamy texture. In contrast, “curd” is a term used in some regions to describe a more general dairy product obtained by curdling milk with various acids or enzymes, potentially resulting in variations in taste and texture. Dahi is made by boiling milk, then cooling it off till it’s warm. Add already stored dahi (around ⅓ teaspoon in 1-liter milk) to warm milk. Mix well. Keep it in a warm place. In summers, the curd gets ready in as early as 5 hours, whereas winters take a longer time around 12 hours. Also, ensure to wrap the bowl with a woolen sweater or shawl so that heat is retained in it.
Variations
Vegan Curd - You may easily swap the dairy milk with dairy free milk or use vegan yogurt. Add Leafy Greens- You may add Leafy greens like freshly chopped cilantro, mint or Bathua (Lamb’s Quarters) leaves in the curd. Get Bathua Curd recipe from my blog.
Storage Suggestions
You may store the leftovers of roasted tomato yogurt dip in an airtight container or a covered bowl in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days. Freezing is not recommended for yogurt-based dips, as it can affect the texture. When consuming it again, let it sit at the kitchen counter for about 15 min and give it a good mix.
Benefits of Curd
Curd is a healthy substitute for cheese and mayonnaise. You may hang it overnight to get rid of extra water and it becomes really creamy for making a dip, sandwich, or stuffing it in any snack! Rich in calcium, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, zinc, curd reduces high blood pressure, strengthens bones, and aids in boosting immunity. It has amazing benefits when applied to the skin as it’s a natural moisturizer.
Expert Tips
Roast the tomatoes until they start to caramelize and burst, releasing their natural sweetness. This step adds depth of flavor to the dip. If you love the flavor of charred tomatoes, feel free to roast more. Make sure to cool off the roasted tomatoes as the yogurt would be cold. You may choose to blend roasted tomatoes and then add to yogurt for a smooth dip or top the spiced yogurt with roasted tomatoes. Pls note I have used OTG (Toaster Oven) so the time to roast may vary. You would need additional 10 min if you are using oven. Air Fryer would be quicker like OTG.
What to Team This Curd with?
The curd can be had with any of your daily meals. The best is to have it plain with stuffed paratha. We in India have it as plain with paratha and as Raita in meals. The other options are to have it with Veg Pulao/ Rice, Jeera Rice, or have it with salad.
Jeera Rice Vegetable Rice Focaccia Bread Cucumber Onion Salad
How To Make Roasted Tomato Yogurt Dip
Step 1. Roast the Tomatoes
While you prep, preheat your oven to 200°C for about 10 min. Place the sliced tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Roast the tomatoes in OTG for about 10-15 min or until they start to blister and release their juices. Remove from the OTG and let them cool.
Step 2. Prepare the Dip With Yogurt
In a mixing bowl, combine homemade yogurt, cumin powder, black pepper, and pink salt. Mix well until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Step 3. Add Roasted Tomatoes
Once the roasted tomatoes have cooled to room temperature, gently add them into the yogurt mixture. You may slightly crush some of the tomatoes while leaving others intact for texture.
Step 4. Garnish and Serve
The roasted tomato yogurt dip is ready. Garnish with fresh basil or cilantro leaves and enjoy it with pita bread, tortilla chips, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, or crackers.
Stories from Kitchen
Belonging to a family of curd lovers, we had it in winters too. Mom would make sure that one large pot is ready while the other is in making. While summers are easy to make curd, winters are challenging and mom would wrap it in layers of blanket to keep it warm and go maintain warmth. Born in a Punjabi family meant that every Sunday was dedicated to hair and my mother would really soak my hair up in curd and won’t bother how difficult it can be for others around to breathe. What are your plans to use curd? I would love to hear from you and might get some new inputs and if I really use your recipe tips, I would mention you on the blog for sharing your inputs!!
You may also like- More Weight-Loss Easy Recipes:
Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup With Basil- Vegan Homemade Healthy Beet Recipes- Veg/ Vegan, Easy & Creative Mushroom Soup Without Cream {Healthy & Vegetarian}
Cucumber Radish Salad Vegan Mango Avocado Cucumber Salad Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea Salad Recipe
If you make this recipe, share the image of it on our Instagram account @veg.buffet or Twitter account @vegbuffet
