Greece | Iran | Turkey | Sauces | Cucumber | Yogurt | Summer

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Tzatziki Recipe

Tzatziki

(Greek cucumber-yogurt sauce)

Yield: About 2 1/2 cups


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Yogurt, thick Greek-style 2 cups
Cucumber peeled, seeded, grated 1 each
Lemon juice only 1/2 each
Garlic minced 1-2 cloves
Olive oil 1/4 cup
Salt 1 teaspoon

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Blend → Chill
  1. Squeeze the cucumber to get rid of excess moisture.
  2. Stir the cucumber together with rest of ingredients in a bowl until well blended.
  3. Adjust seasoning and serve well chilled with bread or pita or as a sauce for souvlaki or gyros.

VARIATIONS

  • Cacik (Turkish yogurt-cucumber salad): Use two cucumbers and add some chopped mint and dill. If you thin it out with a little ice water, cacik can be served as a cold summer soup.
  • Mast-o Khiyar (Iranian yogurt-cucumber spread): Follow above recipe. Stir in 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup golden raisins and some chopped mint. Garnish with fresh rose petals and spread on fresh bread.
  • If you can't find thick, Greek-style yogurt, regular yogurt can be made thicker by straining it overnight in a fine-meshed strainer or several layers of cheesecloth.

NOTES

  • The cooling combination of yogurt and cucumber is popular from the eastern Mediterranean all the way to the cucumber raita of India. The Turkish version is called cacik. In Iran it is known as mast-o-khiyar. It is also sometimes called tarator.
  • Serve tzatziki with döner kebab, gyros or keftedes.