In Greece they call it tzatziki, in Turkey they call it cacik. Some eat it with doner (Turkish kebab cooked on a vertical rotisserie), others have it with gyros (Greek kebab, also cooked on a vertical rotisserie), but this cooling yoghurt and cucumber dip goes with everything. From South East Europe to Iran it’s a staple that accompanies endless arguments about the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, how much lemon to squeeze, and whether to use dill or parsley.
It is also surprisingly easy to make. As well as being versatile, the dip looks fantastic on the dinner table. Make a bowl of tzatziki and people will think you’re a great cook, even if you serve it slapdash with a ready-made curry from the supermarket or a tub of week-old chickpeas.
Time: 15 minutes
Cost: £
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment you will need:
- A grater
- Something to crush garlic with (a pestle and mortar, or a knife)
- 1 Chopping board
- A mixing bowl
- A pretty bowl to serve it in
- A colander or sieve
Ingredients:
- 1 large cucumber
- 500 ml of the most authentic Greek yoghurt you can find (failing that use plain yoghurt, it’ll still be nice, you could even use kefir if that’s easier to source)
- 1 large clove of garlic
- Sea salt (ideally not table salt, but it still works)
- A generous glug of olive oil (not just a drop)
- 1 ripe and juicy lemon to squeeze
- A generous bunch of parsley (if you like dill, use it instead; Gretel prefers peace)
- A generous bunch of mint
- A sprinkle of black pepper
- An olive to top it off with (optional)
Method:
- Prep the parsley – wash it, take off the leaves and chop; the finer the better. Next, you need to do the same with the mint – again, take the leaves off and chop.
- Leave the herbs to one side, but not for too long, you want them to stay fresh!
- Get your big cucumber and use the second biggest hole size on the grater to grate it into the colander. Get rid of as much of the water as you can and leave it to drip in the sink.
- Meanwhile, peel your garlic and crush it.
- Pour your 500 ml of Greek yoghurt, plain yoghurt or kefir into the mixing bowl.
- Chuck in the herbs and the garlic, mix as much as possible. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the olive oil and squeeze in the lemon. Keep tasting it until there is sufficient salt and lemon and it drips with olive oil. Be clever, don’t be bland. Serve it in your pretty (or just unchipped) bowl and decorate it with an olive or two for good measure!
Gretel’s tip : Keep some ouzou or raki at home. Pour yourself a glass, pretend it’s sunny, and enjoy alongside the dinner your tzatziki saved.