Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Yoghurt Sauce)
Quantity: about 500gr (1 lbs)
Preparation time: 30 min. plus chilling time
Tzatziki is a refreshing garlicky sauce (some say it's a salad), which accompanies many Greek dishes. It's preparation is quite simple. It seems everyone in Greece has a different recipe for it. I for example like to add feta cheese to it. Others add chopped onions, shallots or fresh mint. In my opinion the feta cheese gives it a bit of kick but does not overpower.
On the photo the Tzatziki sauce accompanies Greek Potato Pancakes (Begli).
Ingredients
- 450 gr (1 lbs) Greek yoghurt
- 1/2 cucumber (about 200 gr)
- salt and black pepper
- 150 gr Feta cheese, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice or to taste
Preparation:
Shred the cucumber coarsely and put it in a sieve sprinkling it with salt. The salt will remove excess water from the cucumber. Let it sit in the sieve for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime add the yoghurt to a bowl together with the black pepper, the feta cheese, the minced garlic and lemon juice to taste. Mix it well.
Spread cucumber on towel papers and wring it to draw any remaining liquid. You should have a fairly dry mass. Add cucumber to yoghurt mixture. Adjust for salt and pepper.
Chill well before serving.
