TZATZIKI DIP

Any Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern food is incomplete without this dip. Fresh, Light and Comforting are the best words to describe it.

Tzatziki (Pronounced as Zatziki with the T silent) is a creamy Greek sauce/dip. It is made with thick yogurt, cucumber, garlic and olive oil. The authentic Greek recipe calls for addition of dill, but sometimes other herbs are used.

The same dip with a little bit of variation can be found in lot of places around the world. In Turkey it is called “Cacik”….. in Iraq, “Jajik” or “Jajeek”….. in Cyprus, “Talattouri”……. in Iran, “Mast-o-Khair” which literally translates to Yogurt and Cucumber while in South Asia you can find a version of it called “Raita”.

Print Recipe

TZATZIKI DIP

Creamy and velvety Yogurt Dip with fresh Cucumbers and a subtle hint of Garlic and Dill.

Course

Appetizer, Dips/Sauce

Cuisine

Greek

Prep Time

5 minutes

Passive Time

4 hours

Servings

People

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Cups Full Fat Greek Yogurt
• 1 Cup Shredded Cucumber
• 2 Cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Dill
• Salt (To taste)
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice / Vinegar

Course Appetizer, Dips/Sauce Cuisine Greek Prep Time 5 minutes Passive Time 4 hours Servings People Ingredients 2 1/2 Cups Full Fat Greek Yogurt 1 Cup Shredded Cucumber 2 Cloves garlic 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Dill Salt (To taste) 1/4 tsp Black Pepper 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice / Vinegar

Instructions

1. Scoop out the cucumber seeds and grate it. Sprinkle a bit of Himalayan Salt and let it sit for a couple of hours so that the cucumber releases all the juices.

   
2. Use a fine mesh sieve and squeeze the cucumber shreds to get rid of all the liquid.

   
3. Drain the liquid. You will be amazed how much it will be.

   
4. To the yogurt add finely the squeezed cucumber, chopped garlic, dill, lemon juice/vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and mix gently.

   
5. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that all the flavors marry.
6. Enjoy!!!!

   

Recipe Notes

• You can substitute dill with mint but the authentic recipe calls for dill.

• I tried making it without dill or mint and it still worked.

• If you are short on time, try to squeeze out as much liquid from the cucumber as you can using your hands.

• Serve it with pita, kebab, cut up veggies or just enjoy it by spoon full.

• Grate the cucumber....do not chop it using a food processor.

• If you do not have Greek Yogurt, sweat not. Put a sieve on a glass bowl and add some regular yogurt to the sieve. Cover and let it sit for at least 1 hour. Discard the liquid and use the thick yogurt left to make this dip.

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