Tsatziki, aka dzadzyki, is perhaps the most famous cold sauce of Mediterranean cuisine, whose homeland is Greece. It is based on thick, unsweetened yogurt. The sauce has a wonderful refreshing taste and spicy aroma. It goes well with meat dishes, but tzatziki is often served as an independent snack.
In addition to yoghurt, the most important ingredients in Greek sauce are cucumber pulp, olive oil, garlic and salt. Black pepper, herbs and olives are also added to it. The name of this sauce comes from the Turkish dish jajik, which consists of similar ingredients, but has a thinner consistency.
How to cook tzatziki: a step by step recipe
To make tzatziki sauce you will need:
- 150 g thick unsweetened yogurt;
- 2 small fresh cucumbers;
- a clove of garlic;
- 2 branches of dill;
- 1 tsp lemon juice;
- 1 tsp olive oil;
- salt to taste.
This amount of ingredients is enough for making 2-3 servings of sauce.
Preparation
Wash and peel the cucumbers. Cut them lengthwise into two halves, remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut the cucumber pulp into small pieces. Mix them with ½ tsp. salt and place in a colander. Leave for 10-15 minutes - during this time, excess liquid will drain from them, which is completely useless in tzatziki.
Chop the dill very finely. For piquancy, you can safely add mint leaves to the sauce, which must also be finely chopped.
Rub the garlic on a fine grater or pass through a special press. Place it in a bowl, add chopped herbs, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and cucumbers. Squeeze the latter slightly with your hands. Add salt to taste and mix everything.
Place the sauce in the refrigerator for at least two hours. This time will be enough for the flavors of its ingredients to mix, turning into a spicy gastronomic cocktail.
Useful Tips
Ideally, Greek yogurt should be used to make tzatziki. However, it is not so often seen on the shelves of Russian stores. If you can't find Greek yogurt, you can make it from regular, only it should be natural, without any additives. Place regular yogurt in cheesecloth, then hang on a hook for 10-12 hours. During this time, all excess liquid will drain from the yogurt, and it will become thick.
It should be borne in mind that yogurt with such a procedure will lose about half of its weight - that is, to get 150 g of thick yogurt, you should take 300 g of usual.
Tzatziki sauce can be served not only with meat. It is also good in a duet with fried fish. In Greece, this sauce is an integral part of meze (special snacks for alcohol). It is also used as a dip sauce for vegetables or bread, and is complemented by meat dishes souvlaki (skewers on skewers) or gyros (Greek shawarma).
