Add These Three Worldly Delicacies to Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table

Acid. This is what Thanksgiving is missing and what it needs—just think of all the people who come to your dinner table with more tastes than turkey and potatoes. These dishes are not spicy, bright or spicy. Many cultures solve this problem with relishes, salsas, or chutneys, and there’s no good reason why you can’t use them at your holiday table.

The three condiments I’ll discuss below—mint cilantro chutney, hot chili chips, and pineapple mango salsa — are not just made ahead, they often get better after a day or two. They don’t take up much space (on the plate or in the stomach) and are completely optional if one of your guests doesn’t like the extra spiciness. They offer an easy way to let them cook meals to your liking, and the best part is that you don’t have to choose which one to cook—any or all of them can easily live side by side on your table.

Mint and cilantro chutney

The green chutney that you dip the naan in and spread on the tandoori has a name: Dhaniya Pudhina Chutney. Mint and cilantro are key players in this fresh, raw combination. You throw all the ingredients into the blender and what comes out holds up beautifully. You can even decide how much heat you want to add. Tamarind juice adds sweetness, although lime juice can be used in a pinch; you’ll get extra depth from the roasted cumin and ginger. When I imagine this on a piece of turkey, my mouth rejoices—the complexity of the spices is sure to elevate the flavor of the meat.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh cilantro, including stems

• 1 cup mint leaves (spearmint or other spicy mint)

• One inch piece of ginger, peeled

• 3 medium cloves garlic, peeled

• 3 tablespoons cumin seeds

• 2 tablespoons tamarind juice or lime juice

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1-2 green peppers, choose depending on the desired level of spiciness. Jalapeño is hotter, Italian pepper is milder.

• Salt to taste

• ½ glass of water

What to do

1. Add the cumin seeds to the pan over medium heat and continue moving the pan until the seeds are hot. Keep doing this until you smell the cumin, which means it’s toasting. Continue moving the pan to prevent the seeds from burning for another minute and then remove from the heat.

2. Chop the pepper, removing the stems and seeds.

3. Add cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, cumin, pepper and juice to blender. Blend in a blender until you get a smooth paste. Add honey and stir again.

4. Add water a tablespoon or two at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

5. Add salt to taste.

Spicy crispy chili pepper

If you don’t like it spicy, this may sound like hell, but various chilli chips have risen in popularity recently for good reason: chilli chips add heat to a dish, sure, but they also add subtle layers. Using a variety of chilies, shallots, peppercorns and garlic and crisping them in the oil allows the heat of each to mellow and meld together. Because chilies, like your cousins, aren’t all spicy. (Each has a complex flavor profile, so choose your peppers carefully, not your in-laws.) A dollop of crunchy texture and warmth paired with sweet potatoes or turkey will bring a new level of flavor to the table.

While the best chili chips are the ones you buy in the sauce section of an Asian market , you can also make this excellent A.A. Newton’s recipe .

Pineapple and mango salsa

If you think it’s strange to bring these out-of-season fruits to the harvest table, think again. Thanksgiving already has a lot of sweetness—in the pie, the sweet potatoes, the stuffing, the drinks. Chunky, sour, and sweet salsas will top off a bite of turkey or roasted vegetables, and no churrasco would be complete without fruity and vibrant additions like salsa de piña (pineapple salsa) to bring the flavors together. Your palate will appreciate the respite from a heavy meal.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cored

• 1 mango

• 1 red bell pepper

• 2 tablespoons pickled red onion, or 1 shallot if you haven’t picked the red onion yet

• 1 handful fresh cilantro, including stems

• 4 limes

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper for taste

What to do

1. Chop the pineapple, mango and bell pepper of the same size, into small pieces, but not into cubes. If you are using red onions, chop them to the same size.

2. If using shallots, dice them or very thinly and add them to the vegetables.

3. Chop the cilantro, including the stems, and add to the rest.

4. Microwave the limes for twenty seconds and then squeeze the juice into the vegetables, being careful not to drop the seeds. Add olive oil and mix well.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let sit at room temperature for at least four hours before serving. Taste again before serving and adjust salt if necessary.

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