Garlicky Yogurt Dip with Chili Crisp

A perfectly low-effort, high-impact appetizer or snack

This stunning dip of fragrant chili crisp spooned over cooling yogurt comes together in half an hour. It makes a great snack or appetizer alongside crackers, toasted bread, or sliced vegetables and is perfect for hosting.

Ingredients:

For the yogurt:

• 2 cups Greek yogurt or labneh

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

For the chili crisp:

• 1/4 cup (30g) toasted sesame seeds

• 5-6 cracks of black pepper

• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

• 2 pieces star anise

• 2 black cardamom pods (optional)

• 1/4 tsp chili flakes

• 2 tsp gochujang

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 cup neutral tasting oil, like grape seed, sunflower, or light olive oil

• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced crosswise

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced crosswise

• Handful of fresh cilantro to serve (optional)

Instructions:

1. For the yogurt, stir together Greek yogurt (or labneh), salt, minced garlic, and sesame oil. Cover and place in the fridge while you make the chili crisp.

2. For the chili crisp, stir together the sesame seeds, black pepper, ginger, star anise, black cardamom pods, chili flakes, gochujang, honey, sesame oil, and salt in a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl.

3. Add the oil and shallots to a saucepan and place over medium heat. As the oil heats up, the shallots will begin to sizzle, watch carefully and when they are golden brown, quickly remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in the bowl with the sesame seeds. Then, add the sliced garlic to the oil and fry until lightly golden, watching carefully as this can happen very quickly. Once golden, carefully pour both the garlic and oil into the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. Allow this mixture to infuse for at least 20 minutes before using.

4. Once ready, transfer the yogurt mixture into a serving bowl and spoon about 1/3 of the chili crisp overtop, saving the rest for later. Garnish with cilantro and serve alongside vegetables, crackers, or crusty bread.

Note: If you have a low spice tolerance, you can halve the quantity of gochujang in the chili crisp. The recipe yields more chili crisp than you’ll need - the leftovers are delicious alongside eggs, stirred through noodles, or used to dress roasted vegetables.