Dips and sauces can make or break a meal. The same grilled chicken or salad can transform from drab to fab depending on how well the accompanying condiments or dips perk up the flavour. In fact, the dip or sauce may sometimes be the best part of the meal. For example, imagine a shawarma without tahini, a gyro without tzatziki, and a chicken broast without a garlic mayo sauce.

There is just something about dips and sauces that automatically makes a meal more exciting and more complete. A hot sauce adds an element of comfort to the food, while a cold sauce sneaks in some piquancy.

Having an array of sauces and dips lined up in the refrigerator can save a lot of time in the kitchen, especially when the weather is too hot to cook. At the same time, some sauces taste best when made fresh and making them is no Herculean task and the upgrading of a routine (read: boring) meal to a five-star one makes it worth the effort.

Everyone may have their own preference as far as a particular dip is concerned: some may want to devour them enthusiastically by spoonfuls; others may just want to dip their grilled or fried snack in them to round out the flavour; and there are some who even treat sauces as spreads for their breads and crudités. Following are some of my favourite concoctions. You will be surprised at how simple some of these recipes are.

Pesto

Pesto is an Italian sauce traditionally served on pasta. The recipe is fairly simple. Place four tablespoons toasted pine nuts, three cloves of garlic and 200 grams of fresh basil into a food processor and blend while gradually pouring in about 100 ml of olive oil. Stir in three tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

The pesto can last in the refrigerator for a week. Other than pasta, it can be used in sandwiches and with sautéed vegetables, or one can transform an ordinary salad to an extraordinary one by using pesto as dressing.

Guacamole

This is an avocado-based sauce from Mexican cuisine. Scoop out the pulp from two ripe avocados and mash it coarsely with a fork. Add half a cup finely chopped onion, half a teaspoon salt, two tablespoons chopped cilantro and juice of one lemon, and mash them all together. Toss in coarsely chopped jalapenos as per taste. A small diced tomato is also added to the guacamole but only when it is ready to be served.

Guacamole is one of those sauces that don’t last well in the refrigerator since the avocado oxidises and turns brown. Hence, it is best eaten fresh. Serve it as a dip with nachos, potato skins or even raw vegetables, or add it to a sandwich or quesadilla.

Sate sauce

Sate or satay is grilled skewered meat served with a peanut-based sauce. This sauce is predominantly sweet and tangy with a sticky texture.

A finely chopped onion is sautéed in a little oil with garlic, before adding to it two teaspoons chopped ginger, half a cup of very finely chopped peanuts, one teaspoon chilli powder and two teaspoons curry powder. Next, add half a cup of white vinegar, two tablespoons peanut butter, 1/3 cup sugar, one teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and one cup water and stir until combined. The sauce is cooked on low heat for about 10 minutes or until it thickens.

Other than grilled meat, sate sauce can also be served with noodles or salad. The sauce lasts well for a week in the refrigerator and can also be frozen for up to two months.

Honey mustard dip

This is one of the easiest and most flavourful dips and literally, the sky is the limit as far as the options for its consumption are concerned. Have it as a dip with bâtonnet-cut vegetables, batter-fried chicken strips, French fries, or tortilla chips. Alternatively, slather it over crumb-fried crispy fish or a grilled t-bone steak.

The simple recipe calls for whisking together a quarter cup mustard, three tablespoons softened butter, two tablespoons honey, one teaspoon balsamic or cider vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. This particular dip is immensely popular with children.

Spinach & artichoke dip

Creamy and rich, this scrumptious dip is served warm with crusty bread, crackers, chips or raw vegetables.

Mix together one and a half cup chopped fresh spinach, a can of coarsely chopped artichoke hearts, one cup cream cheese, two tablespoons sour cream, two tablespoons mayonnaise and one cup parmesan cheese. Season with salt and white pepper. Place the mixture in an ovenproof dish and bake at 375oF for 25-30 minutes or until the top is crusty. In order to shorten the baking time, the mixture may be placed in multiple small soufflé dishes and baked for 12-15 minutes.

The dip can be assembled up to two days in advance, but must be baked only when ready to be served. Leftovers may be refrigerated for up to three days.