Tzatziki - cucumber and yogurt sauce
Ingredients
- 370 g good Greek yogurt, as thick as possible (I used the new "Alma Kreeka" with more protein - that's why I indicate the weight here as one jar)
- 185 g the weight of fresh cucumbers (grated and pressed very well) is approximate, it is really not necessary to cut cucumbers exactly :)
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- A handful of fresh dill and/or fresh mint (chopped)
- To serve: A drizzle of good quality Greek extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and a pinch of salt.
Instructions
- The most important step - Cucumbers: Before grabbing the grater, evaluate the skin of the cucumbers. If it is thick and hard, it is better to peel the cucumbers so that hard pieces do not get stuck in the sauce later. If the peel is thin and soft, feel free to grate it. I grated the cucumbers with a beet grater.
- Draining: To prevent the sauce from turning into a soup, the cucumbers must be pressed very well. Nobody usually has cheesecloth in the house (and doesn't need it!), a simple, clean kitchen towel is perfect for this. Shake the cucumbers into it, pinch the edges and twist and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Mixing: I salted the pressed cucumbers, added thick Greek yogurt, pressed a clove of garlic and added selected herbs.
- Finish: I mixed everything well and before serving I drizzled some good quality Greek extra virgin olive oil on top.
Notes
To keep the sauce from being watery and thick like cream, I use a ratio of 1 part cucumber to 2 parts yogurt.
How about herbs? Interestingly, there is no single correct recipe - it all depends on the region of Greece. For example, in the northern part of the country, only dill usually goes to tzatziki. Meanwhile, in the islands or in the south, it is very popular to use fresh mint, and in some places both options are added or the herbs are omitted altogether. So feel free to experiment and choose what is tastiest for you!