Tzatziki (Greek) or Cacik (Turkish) is a favourite dip because it is rich, tangy and goes well with pretty much anything. It is so simple to make that it is well worth making it yourself instead of buying it in a store.
Traditionally it is made with rich thick and creamy Greek yoghurt, but if you don’t have dairy then a natural soya yoghurt which has some tang will do quite well and make it vegan, but be sure to give it a squeeze of lemon juice for some extra tanginess that would normally be found in the Greek yoghurt. I make usually make this with dried mint but fresh works too, but more quantity should be added, to taste. Also, another version is to use dill, which is delicious.
Tzatziki is very versatile and goes with so many other dishes as an accompaniment. Also if you have people round for dinner it is also a great dip to serve with pitta bread and crudités.
Ingredients
- 150 g cucumber
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 250 ml Greek yoghurt
- 1½ tbsp dried mint
- extra virgin olive oil
- 5½ oz cucumber
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1½ tbsp dried mint
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber (with the skin) and place in some kitchen paper, about 3-4 sheets thick. Make this into a ball and squeeze with your hands so that all the excess water is drained. You will end up with half the amount of cucumber after you finish squeezing.
- Crush or grate a medium clove of garlic, add to the cucumber, a good pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Add the yoghurt, olive oil, and dried mint, and mix well.
- To garnish you can finely chop some fresh mint on top or add some toasted almond flakes, but this is optional.
- Toast some pitta breads and enjoy dipping!
Notes
Substitute Greek yoghurt for dairy-free natural to make it vegan. To make it a bit thicker, blend the yoghurt with some tofu until it reaches the appropriate consistency if the yoghurt is a bit too thin. Another delicious variation is to add dill with the mint or even as a replacement.