The ingredient ratios are pretty flexible with this recipe. Start with 1 pint (470 mL) Greek-style yogurt, 2 cloves garlic, 1 medium cucumber (we'll actually only use half a cucumber), 1 tablespoon (15 mL) red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Anghelika says her grandmother kept telling her to make sure to remember the vinegar (as if it was the secret to her tsatsiki recipe).The amount of garlic used in this recipe is up to the individual's taste. I suggest starting with the two cloves and adjusting to taste when you make tsatsiki in the future.
Peel the garlic cloves and cut off the woody ends. Pulverizing the cloves as best as you can. You can mince the garlic with a knife, rub it with the tings of a fork, run it through a garlic press, or use a zester (shown in the picture).
Peel the cucumber. Split the cucumber in half (cut crosswise) and then again along the length of the cucumber to expose the seeds. A teaspoon or similar implement can then be used to scrape out the seeds. Whenever I work with cucumbers, I always cut a little bit and taste it before I add it to a recipe. If a cucumber is old or not good quality, it can taste bitter instead of slightly sweet and refreshing. Using a cucumber like that can ruin a recipe pretty easily.
Cut up one half cucumber into small strips. You can use a coarse grater for this if you don't like fine knife work.
Cucumbers contain a lot of water which we don't want to introduce to the Greek-style yogurt. (Greek-style yogurt or Bulgarian yogurt is strained to remove excess liquid, so it's a bit thicker than "standard" yogurt. It also tastes a bit different - the flavor seems closer to a really good sour cream than to plain Yoplait.) Take the chopped up cucumber and squeeze it. You can do this by placing it in a piece of cheesecloth and squeezing. My favorite method - squeeze it in your fist.
Add the drained cucumber to the garlic.
Mix the garlic, cucumber, olive oil, and vinegar together. Stir it around a little to separate the little garlic and cucumber pieces.
Put the yogurt in a container large enough to stir in the garlic and cucumber mixture without making a mess. I scooped the yogurt into a 1 quart container.
Add the garlic and cucumber mixture to the yogurt.
Stir until everything is evenly distributed in the yogurt. Stir in salt to taste. I found that 1/4 teaspoon table salt was a good amount.
This step is really important - refrigerate for at least a day. Right after mixing the yogurt, the tsatsiki is a bit runny and somewhat flavorless (it just tastes like the yogurt). After refrigerating for a day, the garlic flavor permeates the thickened tsatsiki.Latest Articles
| 1 pint (470 mL) Greek-style yogurt | mix | refrigerate 1 day | |||
| 2 cloves garlic | mince | mix | |||
| 1/2 medium cucumber | finely shred | drain | |||
| 1 Tbs. (15 mL) red wine vinegar | |||||
| 1 Tbs. (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil | |||||
| 1/4 tsp. (1.5 g) table salt | |||||
In the morning the yogurt is thick and all the liquid is in the bottom of the pitcher.
I made this last week and used lemon juice instead of the red wine vinegar, it turned out really well.
Sean
I think for this recipie you would add a 2 Tbs spoons.
If you don't have freash mint add 1 teaspoon of dried mint.
In the morning the yogurt is thick and all the liquid is in the bottom of the pitcher.
Sean
I use the same method to thicken yogurt (after the hint from Alton Brown--not an engineer, but cooks like one!); however, you only need about two hours to get a good and thick result. Also, FWIW, I use a woodskewer to support the cheesecloth and a plastic "bag clip" to secure it.
We are Greek and like many more. :D
Of course, everyone has to try some then.
I don't know any Grrek food, but guess what! It just suits our arab cuisine perfectly!
Tzatziki, after all, turns out to be an spiced "labanie" (dry yogurt).
I'll try it your way.
If you want to try it our way as well, we usually add olives and the spiced olive oil it comes in. Great to eat with pita bread.
Try the yogurt with tomatoes, olive oil and salt on a pita bread sandwich.
It's funny to see how food is an universal language, isn't it? :D
Daniel Montanha.
This is generally the Greek way: Greek Yogurt, (very good idea of Sean's to strain regular yogurt if Greek one not available), I don't peel the cucumber or remove the seeds but grate it on the thick side add salt and let it drain then squeeze the water out. (The cucumber peel makes it more digestible). Mix into the yogurt with the crushed garlic (some put more cloves some less). Add more salt if necessary, olive oil and a dash of vinegar. Adding chopped dill is optional but a very good addition.
Tzatziki is also delicious with fried zucchini, aubergines and is an excellent dip for raw vegetables, and anything you feel it tastes good with.
(I also use fresh mint & dill, it brings a nice subtle coolness to the dip)
:)
Kisses from beautifull Greece
Nikolas apo Korintho :)
"anithos" is "dill" :)
Stefanos
in honor of valentine's day one year, we used red vinegar and food dye to color the tzaziki and feta sauces pink. unfortunately, the gesture backfired as many customers mistook it as a sign of undercooked meat....
Thanks for the site... i came across it looking for a recipe!!
Tonight I made an awesome Tzatziki using mint from my garden (and cucumber from Safeway!!) I made a bed of salad (dark greens, grated carrot, avocado, sunflower seeds, sliced apple, raisins, crumbled feta), tossed LIGHTLY with an Italian vinaigrette (made with apple cider vinegar and an extra teaspoon of raw honey). Then i thinly sliced some lamb and browned it in a skillet with some olive oil, S & P, and half an onion. After that had cooked and cooled a bit, I put the meat/onions over the top of the salad, then put the Tzatziki dressing over the meat. It was my own "recipe" (although a salad with meat on it really cant be called a recipe!!!) and it turned out SMASHING!! Rave reviews from the company, and i thought it was good too!!
This is the recipe for the Tzatziki that I made (although i didn't actually MEASURE per se... but its the general idea anyway...)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled / diced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
(I only had regular yogurt... i'm going to make my own, so i used some of my "starter" for this recipe... Greek yogurt is thicker... if i had had time, I would have put some cheese cloth in a colander, put the yogurt in there, and let it sit for 4-5 hours and drain/thicken.)
So... another use for this awesome sauce!!
So I go ahead and strain the Greek style yogurt as well.
So I go ahead and strain the Greek style yogurt as well.
You can strain after the cucumber and juice. In fact, just mix the (regular) yogurt, cucumber and lemon juice (vinegar? eeech!) together and then strain until thick. Ummmm...
Remember, texture is just as important as flavor.
As far as what to put in on, EVERYTHING!
Nevertheless it's a very good alternative of salads.U can serve it with every kind of meat meals and rice.
and...
OH MY GOSH!!
What a difference!! This is amazing, I cannot wait for my Greek Feast tonight! (Roasted Veggies with Feta and Olive Oil, Greek Salad with Oil-Cured Olives, Lamb and Beef Meatballs, and Grilled Flatbread... All with Tsatsiki, of course!!)
Thank you SOOO Much!!!
Beware the gelatin!
When you're hunting a yogurt brand, and are planning on draining it to make yocheese, check the ingredients and be sure the brand of yogurt you buy doesn't have gelatin in it. The gelatin is added to keep the yogurt from seperating and to act as a thickening agent. Unfortunately that first part keeps you from being able to seperate it deliberately!
Something to watch for.