Condiment

This is a sauce for lemon lovers, who crave sinking their teeth into lemon wedges even though they know it could ruin their enamel.

The rice dish pongal is very dear to Tamil people. This combination isn’t traditional, but the thing is, pongal is just fantastic with bright Sri Lankan pickles and a soft-boiled egg.

These dill seed–scented pickles would be a great snack at any point in the year, but the recipe stands the test of time as a Thanksgiving appetizer.

Rosé and lemon juice highlight the fruity, tart notes of this retro cranberry jelly mold from Gourmet.

Fresh corn is the star of this cooling raita, which serves as a palate cleanser between bites of spicier dishes.

No Indian pantry is complete without a batch of homemade garam masala. This fragrant version combines mainstays like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg with rosebuds, cumin, bay leaves, and more.

The scent of homemade salsa roja always takes me back to my childhood. The aroma of rehydrating dried chiles mingling with fresh serrano chiles or jalapeños, tomatoes, onion, and garlic was a weekly occurrence in our household. It was always too spicy for my young palate, but I never got sick of the smell wafting through the house. Though I’ve grown into a heat-seeker as my palate has evolved, this version doesn’t have to be spicy at all. Adding a single serrano chile to the mix gives this mild .…

I use these creamy black beans in my breakfast burritos, but they can be enjoyed in many other dishes too. Make extra for bean and cheese tacos, or use them as a side dish with roast chicken. These black beans can also be used in tamales, sopes, or simply spread on a tostada with salsa. The possibilities are endless.

Add these pickled tomatoes to eggs, soup, sauce, or salsa.

Almost anything—apples, pears, berries, watermelon—can be used in these fruit preserves from Vivian Howard.

This easy-to-savor chile oil is traditionally made with a specific chile, èr jīngtiáo.

This easy chunky guacamole recipe gets warmth from a dash of cumin and heat from fresh or pickled jalapeño.

Tart cranberries meet their perfect match in persimmons, the glorious fruit that ripens in time for Thanksgiving. For this cranberry relish, use Fuyu persimmons, which are eaten while still hard, like apples.

The best cranberry-orange relish recipe is a simple chopped mix of fresh cranberries, orange, sugar, and a touch of cinnamon.

A raw fruit relish is a refreshingly punchy change from the typical cranberry sauce, and far less sweet, making it great for roast meats as well as turkey.

Like regular fish sauce, this vegan version packs a subtle umami punch—but a little goes a long way.