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Tzatziki

Tangy garlic cucumber dip

Tzatziki is also known as ‘talattouri’ in Cyprus. It is a creamy dip made with simple yet fresh ingredients that make it refreshing and tasty — the base is yoghurt and cucumber, and a few more ingredients give it a flavourful taste.

The origin of tzatziki is not very well known, as you will find it all over the Mediterranean and Middle East with slightly different variations. Even various places within Cyprus and Greece have their own spin on this dip.

The Cypriot version is made with strained yoghurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dried mint and a drizzle of olive oil.

Before you start
Equipment
  • Grater
  • Mixing bowl
What you need

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of strained Cypriot/Greek yoghurt
  • ½ cup grated cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of crushed dry mint
  • A drizzle of olive oil
Tzatziki ingredients: yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, mint
How it is made

Method

  1. Prepare the cucumber

    Grate your cucumber and gently squeeze the juice out of it.

  2. Combine and chill

    In a bowl add your cucumber, yoghurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, crushed dried mint and salt. Mix until it is combined nicely, then drizzle your olive oil and place in the fridge to chill.

  3. Serve

    Serve chilled.

At the table

Serving suggestion

Commonly served as a starter before the meze begins. Perfect for dipping vegetables like carrots, celery and peppers, or spread on pitta or bread.

Keep cooking

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Meze & Sides

Hummus

Chickpeas, tahini, lemon