Tzatziki Greek Garlic Yogurt Dip
Tzatziki, the popular Greek yogurt garlic dip is a favourite at Greek tavernas and restaurants. It’s creamy with Greek Yogurts, spicy with garlic and cucumber which are the main ingredients.
Believe me, this dip is delicious and doubles as a sauce and spread.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tzatziki (Greek: τζατζίκι), also known as tarator or cacik (Turkish pronunciation: [dʒaˈdʒɯk]), is a dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East.
It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme. It is served as a cold appetizer (mezze), a side dish, and as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros sandwiches and other foods.
How to make Tzatziki
This is how I make my homemade tzatziki. Preparation time 10-15 minutes
2 cups of Greek Yogurt (as creamy as you can get) Strain the moisture from the yogurt by emptying it into a cheesecloth or similar, you can also use a few layer of paper towels, setting it into a mesh sieve, and letting the excess moisture drip out.
1 large seedless cucumber washed and if you prefer peeled, then grate the cucumber on the coarse side of a hand grater, Sprinkle with a touch of salt then place the grated cucumber in a fine-mesh colander lined with cheesecloth, or use a few layers of paper towels. Cover the grated cucumber and let stand for 60-90 minutes to drain out, (the salt helps to draw out moisture).
Prepare 4-6 cloves of Garlic (for a stronger taste use 6 or more cloves of garlick) Mince the garlic.
3-4 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of White Wine Vinegar (I use lemon juice 1-2 tablespoon)
Chopped fresh dill or alternatively dried dill. I have used both alternatives. Most food experts agree that it is best not to substitute dried dill for fresh dill as the flavour of fresh dill is far superior.
Empty the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Toss with the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and dill. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill for 15-25 minutes and serve.
You can keep Tzatziki “leftover” in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend Tzatziki to be frozen.
Enjoy
There are endless ways to use it.
I personally enjoy it as a snack/dip with fresh veggies andpita bread or crackers.
Try it this way, or add it to your baked potato or grilled veggies or try it with…
