I love tzatziki. I mean, I seriously love the stuff. The creaminess of the yogurt along with the bright and clean flavors of the cucumber, dill, garlic and lemon are a perfect combination and go well with so many foods. It’s a pretty dreary day outside, so I decided to take some time and try making some on my own.
This recipe is from Kalyn’s Kitchen and is definitely worth a try:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained)
- juice of one lemon (about 3T)
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
- 1T kosher salt, for salting cucumbers
- 1T finely chopped fresh dill
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
If you don’t have greek yogurt, strain your plain yogurt to remove excess moisture.
Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds. Be sure to remove all seeds as removal of the seeds (and the accompanying moisture) is key to the tzatziki’s consistency being correct. Dice the cucumbers and place them in to a colander. Sprinkle 1T salt and gently mix. Let the salted cucumbers stand for 30min to draw out water. Drain well and pat dry with a paper towel.
Combine the cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, dill and a few grinds of black pepper in a food processor. Process the mixture until well blended, and then stir the mixture in to the yogurt. Add salt to taste, but be sure to taste before adding any – the salted cucumber adds quite a bit as is.
Place in a refrigerator for at least two hours before serving to let the flavors blend. The resting time is important, so don’t rush this!
This recipe yields about 3.5 cups of tzatziki and will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Enjoy with pretty much any grilled meat, or just snack on it with some toasted pita.
The first bite of pita covered in tzatziki instantly reminded me of dinner at my Greek-Cypriot friend Katherine’s family’s home. I could almost hear her grandmother telling me, “Everything is Greek!” in the background. While not everything is Greek; this tzatziki is, and it sure is tasty too.
If you’re more of the instant gratification type and happen to be in Midtown, give Dafni Greek Taverna a shot. Order the patzaria, haloumi and a glass of Kouros (or the lemonade), sit back, and enjoy.
