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Give your recipes a summer update with homegrown dill
Summary
The easy-to-grow dill will flourish in a home garden, and it will fortify everyday recipes with iron, vitamin A and vitamin C
I started my terrace kitchen garden in Bengaluru 13 years ago. As a Mumbai girl, I had zero gardening knowledge; the only plant I had ever seen growing at home was the tulsi (holy basil) on the window sill. Naturally, I sought the help of a horticulture expert who planned the garden space and got the plants started. I definitely wanted a patch for fresh herbs in my cooking. Among the usual favourites like basil and mint, the experts suggested we plant dill too, for the visual interest that its delicate fronds and yellow flowers would add to the garden.
In a few months the garden was flourishing. One morning, I discovered a swarm of butterflies hovering around the fronds. Intrigued, I researched and found that dill is a favourite of several species of butterflies.
I had some familiarity with dill from my exposure to Maharashtrian food and cooking. Called shepu in Marathi, it is used not as a herb but as a leafy vegetable to make a dry sabzi. My parents were visiting when our kitchen garden had its first harvest. I was excited to cook for them with the bounty from the garden. This meant cooking with brinjal, tomatoes, spinach, and dill repeatedly, trying new combinations each time. While my mom didn’t mind, Appa was getting tired of my “culinary adventures". He jokingly said, “Any more brinjal and shepu chi bhaji, and I’m packing my bags and going back to Mumbai."
Also read: Try these sweet and savoury raw mango recipes from Lucknow
If you arrange all the herbs by flavour profile from mild to bold, dill falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum—not too delicate and not too overpowering. However, when you cook with a whole bunch of dill to make a sabzi, it can become quite strong. It’s best to combine it with potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, or carrots, which can balance the flavour with their mildness.
Dill is called sabsige soppu in Karnataka and I have seen it being routinely sold by vegetable vendors alongside other greens. It adds a unique flavour to akki roti (rice flour roti) and is used in everyday recipes like saaru (rasam), palya (sabzi), and bath (rice). I highly recommend the liberal use of dill in these dishes as an easy way to fortify them with iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C, while adding a cooling, refreshing touch to make them summer-friendly.
While dill (also known as dill weed to differentiate from the seed) is mostly used as a “vegetable" in Indian cooking, it is used as a herb in Central and Eastern European as well as Nordic dishes. It is used to garnish soups, potato salads, used in compound herb butters, or mixed with sour cream for dressings. As a contrast, in Persian cooking, dill is generously used in kuku sabzi, a herby frittata, as well as in rice dishes like polo.
If you’ve eaten in an American deli or observed them in television series, dill pickles are one of the most popular condiments served alongside sandwiches. These are in fact cucumber pickles flavoured with flowering dill weed, that imparts a strong flavour. The practice of serving pickles alongside a meat-rich sandwich originated in New York City delis run by Jewish immigrants. Here, the tangy pickles are served as a palate cleanser. Baby cucumbers are left to soak in brine (natural lacto-fermentation) or in vinegar flavoured with herbs and spices. You can make these pickles at home using “snack cucumbers" sold by a few gourmet vegetable brands in India.
Dill is an easy-to-grow herb that does well in windowsill pots, but it needs 5-6 hours of full sunlight. Its delicate, feathery foliage makes for a pretty sight, especially when the sun filters through them.
Cold cucumber dill soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
3-4 European cucumbers*
1 cup Greek yogurt (or thick yogurt)
1 cup roughly chopped dill leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
Half tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic (use roasted garlic for milder flavour)
For the garnish
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarsely ground black pepper
Sprigs of fresh dill
Few cucumber slices
Method
Slice off the ends of the cucumber and chop roughly. In a blender, combine the cucumber, chopped dill leaves, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Blend until you get a smooth mixture.
Divide the soup into four bowls and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, dill sprigs and sliced cucumbers.
Optional: Some crushed salty crackers on top add a fun texture.
Serve with toasted sourdough for a summer friendly lunch or brunch.
*If using regular cucumbers, peel it and scoop out the seeds.
Three bean salad with dill
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
3-4 tbsp white vinegar
Half tsp salt
Half cup cooked rajma or red beans (Jammu variety)
Half cup cooked green moong
Half cup cooked chickpeas
Half cup finely chopped dill leaves
Half cup diced cucumber
For the dressing
Handful of dill leaves
50g paneer or tofu
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
Half tsp salt
Half tsp ground black pepper
60 ml water
Method
In a small bowl, combine the onion with vinegar and salt. Keep aside for 20 minutes. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked beans, dill leaves and cucumber. Squeeze the onion slices soaking in vinegar and add to the salad bowl.
In a small mixer jar, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth. Add water to adjust the consistency to a pourable dressing, if required.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
This salad makes a hearty meal, stays well in the fridge for a couple of days and packs well in lunch boxes too.
Double Tested is a fortnightly column on vegetarian cooking, highlighting a single ingredient prepared two ways. Nandita Iyer’s latest book is The Great Indian Thali—Seasonal Vegetarian Wholesomeness (Roli Books). She posts @saffrontrail on Twitter and Instagram.
