Spicy Sour Cream Dip

Bowl of dip topped with a chili oil, scallions, and a few tortilla chips.

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5 from 3 votes

Classic sour cream dip gets a makeover with a topping of sizzled spices for a flavorful Indian-inspired snack.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Inactive Time30

Total Time1 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Karishma Pradhan

Ingredients

For the sour cream base

2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral oil
1 medium onion finely chopped to yield 1 ½ cups
3 garlic cloves minced to yield 4 teaspoons
Salt and black pepper
½ teaspoon granulated white sugar
1 large scallion
½ lemon
1 cup full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

For the spicy tadka

1 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral oil
1 small clove garlic finely minced
½ teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder optional, yields a pretty mild heat | for a bit of a kick, double the amount of chili powder

Instructions

For the sour cream base:

Saute the aromatics: Set a heavy, medium-sized cast-iron pan or skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons canola oil. Once hot, add 1 medium onion, finely chopped, and 3 garlic cloves, minced. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 - 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar.
Note: During this initial cooking, very mild, golden-brown edges are okay, but if you notice anything deeper in color, lower the heat. You can also add a splash of water to the pan to immediately reduce the heat if needed.
Caramelize the onions: Reduce the heat to low, and cook the onions and garlic for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, and adjust the heat as needed to prevent any burning.
At the end of the 30 minutes, onions should be deep-golden brown in color (but not burnt) and taste quite sweet.
Cool the mixture: Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Let cool until mixture feels just slightly lukewarm, about 5 minutes.
Prep the scallions and lemon: While the mixture cools, thinly slice the scallions. Juice half of the lemon (you should have about 1 tablespoon of juice).
Mix the base: Stir in 1 cup full-fat sour cream, lemon juice, and most of the sliced scallions (save about a tablespoon for garnish) into the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Chill the base: Place the serving bowl, covered, into the refrigerator for 30 minutes (and up to 1 day) to allow the flavors to develop.
When ready to serve, take the dip out of the fridge and taste a spoonful. At this point, you can season again with salt and pepper.
Note: If the dip tastes slightly too "sweet", you probably need to add a little bit more salt or lemon juice, depending on your preference. I find those little adjustments make a huge difference in the flavor.

For the spicy tadka:

Just before serving, make the spicy tadka. This process happens really quickly, so to prevent burning, try to be attentive and don't walk away at any point here.
Set a small saute pan or tadka pan over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add 1 small clove garlic, finely minced, and cook for 1 - 2 minutes until it begins to sizzle.
Immediately add ½ teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, and swirl the pan to ensure even distribution.
Once the seeds are sizzling, immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder.
Immediately, pour half of the hot, sizzling tadka over the sour cream, and mix to combine thoroughly. Create a few swooshes at the top of the dip, and drizzle the remaining tadka on top.
Garnish with the reserved scallions, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storage: You can make the base sour cream dip up to 1 day ahead; in fact, it tastes even better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Just before serving, make the spicy tadka topping. Once you’ve made the full dip (sour cream and the topping), it can technically last an additional 3 days in the refrigerator, but I find that it tastes freshest up to 36 hours after adding the tadka.

Nutrition