This is my mom’s original recipe and it is the first time that it is being written down. It was a challenge getting her to measure out all of the ingredients! This is not your store bought tzatziki which is often made with sour cream and has a mild garlic and cucumber taste. This tzatziki is intense!
The key ingredient in tzatziki is the strained yoghurt. However, unless you have access to a Greek or Middle Eastern grocery store where strained yoghurt is available, you will need to strain your yoghurt overnight. To do this, line the inside of a sieve with four layers of cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Dump the yoghurt in the sieve and place it in the fridge overnight.
It is also important to remove some of the excess liquid from the grated cucumber. I always reserve the liquid from the cucumber in case the tzatziki turns out to be too thick for my taste. If this happens, I simply add some of the reserved cucumber liquid to my mixture to loosen it up.
Other than that, all you need to do is mix all the ingredients together with a spoon and enjoy!
- 1 cup Greek plain yoghurt (make sure that it is true Greek yoghurt with no added thickening agents or additives)
- ¼ English cucumber, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Unless you have access to a Greek or Middle Eastern grocery store where strained yoghurt is available, you will need to strain your yoghurt overnight. To do this, line the inside of a sieve with four layers of cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Dump the yoghurt in the sieve and place it in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, grate the cucumber and with your hands squeeze out excess water.
- In bowl, combine the strained yoghurt, cucumber and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well with a spoon. Adjust the amount of garlic, vinegar and/or salt according to your taste. Enjoy!
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