Homemade Tzatziki
One of my absolute favorite types of food is Greek food. As someone with a Greek background and having lived in Greece as a child, I am very familiar with the ingredients and methods used in Greek cuisine. Most Greek dishes are simple to make and use very basic ingredients and seasonings. The ingredients chosen are always so fresh and flavorful that a lot of the times extravagant seasonings and spices are not necessary and great flavor can be achieved with a little bit of time and care.
Tzatziki sauce has to be one of the most popular Greek sides and a staple to many Greek meals. Tzatziki is a yogurt based dip or condiment, flavoured with fresh garlic, cucumber, lemon and fresh herbs. Tzatziki can be enjoyed on its own, dipped with pita bread, over oven roasted potatoes and as a delicious topping on souvlaki or burgers.
I hope you try this delicious dip and enjoy it as much as I do. It’s perfect for summer bbq season!
The very first thing you will need to do is strain all of the liquid from 2 cups of plain Balkan style yogurt. I like to use Balkan yogurt as it has a lovely tangy flavor that compliments this dish perfectly. You can do this by using a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, or a coffee filter. It’s best to let the yogurt strain for at least 6 hours so I usually set this part up the night before or first thing in the morning. Straining out the yogurt is essential or you will end up with a very watery dip. You can see in the photo above that after 6 hours almost a full cup of liquid strained out of the yogurt.
Next you want to grate one full seedless cucumber. As with the yogurt you will need to remove as much liquid as you can from the cucumber. You can do this by squeezing the grated cucumber with your hands or pressing it down in a mesh strainer.
In a large bowl whisk together the lemon, minced garlic, olive oil and salt.
Add in the fresh chopped dill.
Mix in the strained yogurt and cucumbers until evenly combined.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and your Tzatziki is ready to enjoy.
Serve with some fresh warm pita bread or use as topping with meats or potatoes.
Enjoy!
Homemade Tzatziki
Recipe details
- 1 Bowl
- Prep time: 6 Hours Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 6 hr 10 min
Comments
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You forgot to add the cucumbers!!!