Creamy Avocado Dip with Scallions

1 tablespoon canola or other neutral vegetable oil
3 large scallions, white and pale-green parts thinly sliced, and dark-green parts trimmed and finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus a pinch
1 avocado, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup Greek yogurt

Heat oil in a small pan over medium.  Add the sliced scallions, reserving finely chopped scallions for later, and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until scallions just start to brown around the edges, about 3 minutes.

Transfer scallions and oil to the bowl of a food processor.  Add avocado, yogurt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.  Process until nearly smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Transfer to a bowl and top with reserved finely chopped scallions.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

From Epicurious, with minor changes

Beet and Cucumber Raita

2 medium beets
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups full-fat yogurt
2 small cucumbers, peeled and cubed
8 fresh mint leaves (optional)

Steam beets in Instant Pot (or pressure cooker):
Pour 1 cup of water into the pot of the Instant Pot and place the trivet in the pot.  Place the beets on the trivet.  

Secure the lid and set the pressure cooker to release to sealed position.  Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.  Let the pressure release naturally; this will take about 10 minutes.  Open the Instant Pot and, carefully, transfer the beets to a plate or cutting board.  Let cool.  When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Make the raita:
In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt and salt.  Stir in cucumber.

Add the beets to the raita, stir to combine, and  garnish with the mint.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days - serve chilled.

Serves 4.

From Ministry of Curry blog

Basil Yogurt Sauce

1/4 cup (60 grams) plain full-fat Greek yogurt
1 cup (12 grams) fresh basil leaves
1 bunch (85 grams) scallions, white and green parts
1/2 ripe avocado
1 green chili, seeded if desired
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup cold water, plus more as needed

Combine the yogurt, basil, scallions, avocado, chili, lime juice, peppercorns, salt, and water in a blender and pulse on high speed until smooth and uniform.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.  You can add more water if you want to make the sauce a little thinner.  Transfer to a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

From Season by Nik Sharma

Rainbow Root Raita

2 cups (480 grams) plain full-fat yogurt
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup (35 grams) peeled and grated carrot
1 cup (100 grams) peeled and grated beets
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion (white and green parts)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
5 to 6 curry leaves, preferably fresh
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt,water, salt, and pepper.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.  Add the grated vegetables and the scallions, but don't mix them just yet.

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves (be careful, as the mustard seeds will sizzle and pop when they hit the hot oil).  Swirl the oil gently until the seeds stop sizzling and the leaves crisp up but are still green, 30 to 45 seconds.  Remove from the heat and add the ginger to the hot oil, stirring for 10 to 15 seconds.  Pour the seasoned oil mixture with the seeds, leaves, and ginger over the yogurt and vegetables in the bowl and stir until just blended.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 8 side servings.

From Season by Nik Sharma

Tandoori Baby Potatoes with Herb Yogurt

For the potatoes:
8 baby potatoes
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the tandoori marinade:
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
Scant 1/4-ounce gingerroot, peeled weight, grated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste

For the topping:
Generous 1 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Handful of chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 to 3/4 small onion, minced
1 green chile, seeded and minced, or to taste
1-2 tablespoons whole milk, if needed

Peel the potatoes and halve.  Bring lots of salted water to a boil in a large pan.  Add the potatoes and boil for 8 minutes.  Drain and, when cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scrape out a depression so that the potatoes look like boiled egg halves where the yolk has been removed.

Mix the ingredients for the tandoori marinade in a bowl.  Add one good teaspoon of salt.  Place the potato halves in the bowl, turn to coat in the marinade, and let marinate for 30 minutes.  

Mix together all the ingredients for the topping, adding the milk if the consistency seems a little thick, and season to taste.

Heat the oven to 425 F.  Place the potatoes, flat side up, on a baking sheet and place on the middle shelf of the oven.  Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the marinade looks properly dried.  Turn the potatoes over, move the rack to the top of the oven, and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes.  Turn again and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes.  They should be tender by now (check by piercing one of the largest potato halves with a knife).

Melt the butter and brush it over the potatoes.  Spoon a rounded teaspoon of topping onto each potato half and serve immediately.

Makes 16 halves.

From Indian Vegetarian Feast by Anjum Anand

Homemade Labneh

2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt  

Arrange a double layer of cheesecloth in a strainer (or, alternatively, line a strainer with coffee filters).  Spoon yogurt into strainer, and place strainer over a bowl so that it rests a few inches above the bottom of the bowl.  Lightly cover strainer with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 12-24 hours.  After 12 hours, the yogurt mixture will have thickened into standard labneh; after 24 hours, it will have thickened further, into extra-stiff labneh.

Remove strainer from bowl; discard whey. Spoon labneh into a bowl and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 1 1/4 cups.

From Cooking Light

Labneh (Lebni) Tart

For the crust:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (4.5 ounces) all-purpose flour

For the filling:

3 large eggs

1/4 cup (plus optional 2 tablespoons) sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) labneh (yogurt cheese) (Note: if making labneh from recipe at link, increase amount of yogurt to 3 cups and let stand for 12 hours for standard labneh)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom

To make the crust, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter with the sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Add the flour and mix just util well-blended.  If the dough seems too soft and gooey, let it stand for a few minutes to firm up.

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan to make a thin, very even, layer.  This takes a little patience, as there is just enough dough; to avoid ending up with extra-thick edges, press the dough squarely into the corners of the pan.  Place the pan on a cookie sheet.

Bake until the crust is a deep, golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, checking after about 15 minutes or so to see if the dough has puffed up from the bottom of the pan.  If it has, lift and gently slam the cookie sheet down to settle the dough, or press the dough down with the back of a fork and prick it a few times with the tines.

Meanwhile, make the filling.  Somewhat surprisingly, the order in which the ingredients are mixed makes a big difference in the smoothness of the tart, so proceed without deviation.  In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt, and vanilla.  Whisk in the yogurt cheese.

When the crust is ready, remove it from the oven and turn the temperature down to 300 F.  Brush the bottom of the crust with a thin layer of the beaten egg yolk to moisture-proof it.  Return the crust to the oven for 1 minute to set the yolk.

Pour the filling into the hot crust and spread it evenly.  Return the tart to the oven and bake until the filling is set around the edges but, when the pan is nudged, quivers like very soft Jell-O in the center, around 15 to 20 minutes.  Check often in the last few minutes, as over-baking will destroy the silky-smooth texture of the filling.  Cool the tart completely on a rack.  Refrigerate if not serving within 3 hours.

Serves 8.

From Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich

Note: This is delicious served with Chilled Oranges in Orange Flower-Caramel Syrup.

Mango and Cucumber Raita

2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
2 ripe mangoes, diced
2 small seedless cucumbers, diced
1 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 diced red chillies or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Combine yogurt with sugar, and mix until sugar dissolves.  Add the diced mangoes and cucumbers.  

Melt the ghee in a small pan.  Add the mustard seeds and fry until they pop.  Add the red chillies and fenugreek seeds and fry for 30 seconds.

Strain the ghee, discarding the solids.  Stir the ghee into the yogurt mixture.  Garnish with cilantro leaves if desired.

Serves 3.

From Veg Recipes of India website, with minor changes