Easy Tzatziki Recipe without Dill
Tzatziki Recipe Without Dill - Easy, no cook, cucumber yogurt dip packed with fresh herbs made under 10 mins. Serve with grilled vegetables, falafel, kebabs, wraps, gyros or pita chips and crudités.
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- Box Grater
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 400 grams Yogurt or use 1 cup strained yogurt Read Notes Below
- 1 English Cucumber grated
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- Juice of half a lime
- 1 ½ tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Finely chopped Cilantro
- 2 tbsp Finely chopped Mint
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper Powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp Zaatar Spice (optional, while serving)
Instructions
- First, strain the yogurt in a cheesecloth. Note - If using homemade regular yogurt, you might need couple of hours. Greek Yogurt would require 45 mins.
- Once the yogurt is strained, add it to a bowl. Note - Don't throw the whey. It's nutritious!
- Whisk the strained yogurt until creamy and fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste, squeeze fresh lime juice and add finely grated garlic cloves. Mix well.
- Use a box grater to grate the cucumbers. Squeeze the cucumbers to remove excess moisture. You can do this by simply pressing the grated cucumbers between your hands and giving it a tight squeeze.
- Add the cucumbers to the whisked yogurt, drizzle EVOO, finely chopped cilantro and mint leaves, gently fold. Taste check and adjust salt, pepper at this stage.
- Refrigerate until serving or atleast for 30 mins.
- Before serving, drizzle 1/2 tsp of EVOO and sprinkle zaatar spice (optional)
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutes
- Cucumbers - Since I have used English Cucumber for this recipe, I have not peeled the skin. They have less to no seeds compared to regular cucumbers, making it perfect for Tzatziki. If you are using any other variety of cucumber, scoop the seeds completely before grating. You may also consider peeling the skin.
- Always taste the cucumbers as they may sometimes taste bitter and might spoil the dish.
- Yogurt - Traditionally Greek Yogurt is used. It is naturally thick and creamy. There are low-fat and full-fat options available so feel free to use any. I have use home made unsweetened yogurt which is strained in a cheesecloth for an hour. This is how I make homemade labneh (yogurt cheese) too. For a Vegan Recipe, you can use unsweetened soy yogurt or coconut yogurt.
- Garlic - The dip has an intense garlic flavor. I would highly recommend fresh garlic instead of the powder. I use a garlic press or prefer grating it finely so that it blends easily with the creamy yogurt.
- Herbs - Use herbs generously. They add flavor and enhance the taste of the dip. Use only leaves of the herbs and not stems for this recipe.
- I reserve a tsp of EVOO to drizzle on top just before serving followed by a sprinkle of Zaatar spice. Totally optional though we love it!
- This dip is not spicy but you can always serve the dip sprinkled with some Aleppo Chili Flakes or use regular chili flakes. A drizzle of chili oil instead of EVOO would add a punch to the dip.