Roasted Poblano with Yogurt – easy to make this creamy and tangy dip that is perfect with all your favorite savory snacks, from the crispy-crunchy to the pillow-soft, melt-in-your-mouth kinds.
You can have this super-versatile dip with just about anything that “needs” a dipping sauce. I love it with all kinds of fried finger-food of course, but that’s not all. It is also great for dipping crunchy stuff like crudites, crackers and chips, as well as soft stuff like fresh bread/baguette slices.
I sometimes also serve it as a side with things such as Mexican-style Quesadillas, Indian-style Utthappams, Parathas and Thalipeeth, etc. You get the idea…
The dip will likely vanish so fast, you’ll wish you had made more. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy some leftovers the next day? When your stomach growls for attention, just pull out some crackers and start dipping!
Peppers – oh, so many kinds!
I had never seen so many varieties of peppers until I came to the US as a grad student many years ago. It was mind-blowing to see the spectacular display of peppers in the grocery stores. My eyes drank in and simply marveled at all the brilliant colors, shapes and sizes.
It took a while before I became familiar with their different textures, flavors and spice-levels. With my creative juices on overdrive, I excitedly experimented with my new “toys” for months! This was my fun de-stress activity in the evenings, after a long day at school. One had to eat something, after all, so why not try something new?
Somewhere along the way, I decided to play with Poblano peppers. Mind you, this was in the “dinosaur era” – NO Internet and NO Google. So, I found information the old-fashioned way – I browsed through cookbooks in the public library.
Roasted Poblano Peppers – mildly spicy, great texture and flavor
I found several recipes that called for roasting the Poblanos first. At the time, this was a new and intriguing idea for me. So, of course I tried it, and was delighted with its soft texture and mildly spicy flavor.
The whole process actually reminded me very much of making Baingan Bhartaa (Bye-eng-gun Bhur-thaa), a very popular Indian dish made with roasted eggplants. Roasting the eggplant till it’s charred, peeling away the charred skin and chopping the soft-cooked eggplants – so very similar to roasting Poblanos!
Through the years, as I continued to experiment with Poblanos, I became hooked. The recipe I’ve shared here, with roasted Poblano and yogurt, has become one of my go-to dips that I make fairly often.
It is inspired by a super-quick chutney my spicy-food enthusiast Mom used to make every so often. My Dad, my siblings and I had a very low threshold for spicy food, so our food was typically on the mild side. Sometimes, she just wanted something with a bit more Zing, and she would make this spicy chutney, quite on the fly!
Spicy green chilli in yogurt – Mom’s fast-fix hot sauce
She would spear a small spicy green chilli with a fork and roast it, turning as needed, over the open flame of the gas-stove. It charred in just a minute or so. She let it cool a bit, then mashed it and added it to a little yogurt. A bit of salt and cumin powder, maybe some crushed peanuts, and her fast-fix hot sauce was ready!
It always looked so inviting, I couldn’t resist taking a little lick, even though I knew that the heat would hit fast and strong! But Oh, it was so tasty!
Yogurt – creamy, delicious, nutrient dense… and probiotic benefits too!
Yogurt, besides being deliciously creamy and tart, offers many of the same health benefits as milk: protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, Vitamins B2, B12, etc. In addition, fresh yogurt, made by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria, is a wonderful probiotic which supports a healthy gut microbiome. The close relationship between a healthy gut and our overall good health is quite well-known at this point.
By the way… just be aware that Geek yogurt’s (strained yogurt) nutrient profile is a little bit different than regular yogurt. How come? Well, when the yogurt strained for making Greek yogurt , some of the water-soluble nutrients are lost along with the whey. I prefer to use regular yogurt.
If the yogurt looks somewhat watery, I put it in a fine-mesh strainer, placed over a bowl, for 5-10 min. About 1-2 tbsp whey collects in the bowl under the strainer. I save the whey until I finish making the dip, adding some back in if the dip looks too thick. Whatever little is left – I simply drink it up! Why waste good stuff?
Yogurt is also cooling and very refreshing, especially during the hot summer months. All across the Indian sub-continent, folks typically eat yogurt every day, often with every meal. They serve it as is, or use it to make a multitude of delectable yogurt-based dishes. They commonly pair these dishes with rice and various types of flatbreads – Parathas (Pur-raa-thaa), Thalipeeth ( Thaa-li-peeth), etc.
I try to always have fresh, home-made yogurt in the refrigerator.
Special Diets
This roasted Poblano yogurt dip is vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. Wondering if you can veganize it? Sure, just make it with your preferred dairy-free yogurt. If you want the dip to be more tart, squeeze a bit of lemon juice. To make it a bit more spicy, add in some finely chopped Serrano peppers or other spicy green chilli that you like.
Do you enjoy different types of dips (like me!)? Perhaps you would like to try some of the other dips I’ve posted on this blog. Some are sweet-spicy-tart, others are creamy, tangy and/or cheesy, and… best of all, most are super-easy to make! Try the Apricot Duck Sauce; Creamy Corn Dip; Peanut Yogurt Chutney; Cheesy Sauce; Hummus and others.
Do make this creamy delicious dip with roasted Poblano peppers and yogurt to share with friends and family, with just about anything that needs a dip. Please leave a review and rating. Much appreciated.
I plan to post several other Poblano recipes I have developed, so be on the lookout for them. I love their wonderful flavor and texture, they seem to elevate every dish to another level.
Enjoy!
Roasted Poblano with Yogurt – Make an Easy, Creamy Dip
Equipment
- Toaster oven for roasting Poblano peppers; if not available, this can be done on the stove-top
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Roasted Poblano pepper – peeled, de-seeded and chopped 1 medium Poblano yields about 2 tbsp after roasting; if Poblano is not available, see Recipe Notes for alternatives
- 1 cup Yogurt -plain – whole milk preferred can use low-fat or non-fat if you like – it will not taste nearly as creamy, but will still taste great; Greek yogurt OK too, but nutrition info will be as different – see Recipe Notes for details
- 3/8 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper – freshly crushed preferred
Garnish
- 1 tbsp Cilantro – chopped if not available, use fresh basil leaves or thinly sliced green onions (green tops)
Instructions
- Roast the Poblano Pepper(s) in a toaster oven , or on the stove-top.Check the pictures that accompany the directions for the 2 methods:A) in a toaster oven:Place the peppers on a parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 6-7 min.
- Flip carefully – use tongs if needed – and continue to roast 5-6 min.
- B) on the gas-stove – flame-roasting Place a roasting grid – a cooling rack works well – on the stove-top.Place the Poblano on the rack and start roasting on medium heat, keeping tongs handy.
- Use tongs to move the pepper around, flipping as needed to roast evenly. it will probably be done 5-7 min ( oven-roasting takes a bit longer).Note:It will get the most heat in the middle, which tends to burn, so you need to watch it closely, moving the pepper to the edges of the flame as needed.
- Transfer the roasted charred pepper to a plate, cover and set aside to cool for about 10 min.
- Hold the Poblano with the tongs and use a blunt knife to loosen and scrape away the charred skin. Caution: Some Poblanos can be a bit spicy, so I do not recommend using bare fingers to peel the Poblano. You might accidentally touvh some part of your face/eyes – it will sting. Use food-safe gloves if you like.
- Cut lengthwise to split open the peeled roasted Poblano.
- Use a spoon to lightly scrape away the seeds. If the seeds start to stick to the spoon, dip the spoon in a bowl of water. The seeds will immediately drop to the bottom of the bowl – now continue to scrape.
- Slice the peppers into long strips , then cut across to dice/chop.
- Please remember to wash your hands thoroughly after you're done with chopping, to remove any spicy residue left on your hands.
- Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl Add the yogurt to the strainer and set aside for 5-7 min.You may get about 1-2 tbsp of whey in the bowl.
- Transfer the yogurt to a medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk the yogurt till it becomes smooth and creamy.
- Add the chopped Poblanos to the yogurt.
- Add salt, black pepper and cumin powder. Stir to mix. Yields about 1 cup dip.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with your favorite snacks. Crackers, toast, chips, grape tomatoes, sliced carrots, etc.
Notes
If Poblano Peppers are not available:
Try some of these varieties instead:- Anaheim Peppers
- New Mexico Peppers
- Green Bell Peppers
- Cubanelle Peppers
- Canned diced green chillis – these are similar to Poblano in texture, but may be a little more spicy.
- When adding the roasted, chopped peppers to the yogurt, start with 1 tbsp chopped peppers if your using a spicier variety; taste-test and then add more if you like.
- If you use the very mild bell peppers, make the dip as directed, then add some finely minced spicy green Chillies to the dip for heat.
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If using Greek Yogurt:
- the nutrition info provided for the dip will be a little different, depending on the variety of yogurt used
- the dip may look too thick – add water, 1 tsp at a time, to adjust the consistency to your preference.
Storing Roasted Poblano:
If you wish, you can roast several Poblanos at the same time and stash them for later.- Refrigerate roasted and chopped Poblano up to 3-4 days, OR
- Freeze, up to 8-10 days, possibly longer;
- I recommend freezing them in small portions, about 2 tbsp
- Ice-cube trays work well for doing this: put them in the ice-cube tray, freeze, then transfer frozen cubes to a container with a well-fitting lid.
- Take out cubes as needed and thawÂ
- I recommend freezing them in small portions, about 2 tbsp
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Storing leftover dip
Store prepared dip in a glass/ceramic container, covered, in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days. I do NOT recommend freezing this dip.- Its texture after it thaws is not very appealing.
Super addictive dip! Love it 💕
Thanks, Pallavi!