TZAtziki – Authentic Greek Yogurt Dip

Tzatziki, the greek yogurt dip is a simple dip made using hung curd and is flavoured with garlic, dil leaves and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. This greek yogurt dip goes well with crackers, fritters, grilled vegetables or just a bowl full of it as a cooling meal sometimes. Tzatziki, greek yogurt dip is so cooling that it makes it perfect for this summer.

Last year this time, we were in Greece and we had Tzatziki every single day. We had it grilled vegetable platter or with pita breads or with souvlaki and gyros. We loved Greece and how simple yet flavourful the food there was. Fondly remembering our trip today and hence made this dip to go with cucumber fritters for breakfast and sourdough crackers for snacks. Here is the recipe for this simple, authentic dip. The other dip that goes well with crackers is Hummus.

Greece is a beautiful country and we spent a good 20 days there. People there are so warm and friendly. We visited Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Costa Novarino and the breath taking Meteora. We stayed as usual in some beautiful Air bnbs which let us enjoy the place like our own. Athens and Santorini are the more touristy places compared to the others. Athens has so much history and it was a goosebump moment to see the Acropolis and Parthenon. The walk down the hill into the Plaka market was such a great experience. The market was never ending and we took our time to wander through the bazars and taverna strewn cobbled streets.

Santorini on the other hand is a quiet island and you will see hustle bustle only in the area of Oia and Fira. Oia is a coastal town on the northwestern tip of Santorini, a Greek Aegean island. The town has whitewashed houses carved into the rugged clifftops, and overlooks a vast caldera filled with water. The most common pictures of Greece that one would have seen would be of Oia. Oia and Fira are known for its breath taking views, shopping (loads of them), food and sunsets.

Mykonos is a much calmer island with inter woven cobbled lanes, It is famous for its vast array of whitewashed churches, shops, museums, windmills and other structures that dates back to the 16th century. Here is where you will see the bougainvillea falling down beautifully on the whitewashed houses with beautiful doors. Every lane, every house is worth capturing and I didn’t get tired capturing them. We spent most of our time wandering through those streets, having sea food, shopping and enjoying frequent coffee.

Then was Meteora. Meteora’s sandstone peaks are home to Greece’s celebrated mountaintop monasteries as well as an adventure travel scene. The breathtaking views, sunsets, hikes, and the monasteries were serene . I could sit on those rocks and watch the sunset every evening , which I did every evening that we were there. We stayed in the small town named Kalampaka situated at the foot hills of Meteora. The small town, its town centre and the easter celebration was something that I will remember fondly forever.

And restaurants and food in Greece was an absolute treat. Starting from dips like Tzatziki, melitzanosalata (aubergine) and fava (creamy split pea puree) , olive and olive oil, Dolmade(stuffed tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and baked in oven), moussaka, Souvlaki, Gyros and never ending list of Fresh fish dishes. And there is Feta and various cheese with Deep fried feta with honey dressing was my favourite. Creamy thick Greek yogurt with hundreds of toppings and dressings, greek coffee were always fillers between meals :D. The breathtaking views from the restaurants, the small restaurants on the cobbled streets with bougainvilleas falling beautifully from top, small cafes, yogurt bars, ice cream parlours, bakeries and there were thousands of restaurants in every place. As I get older I have started enjoying our trips in a totally different way, enjoying the walks, food, the produce, rather than just visiting the regular touristy places.

Ingredients

1 cup – Hung curd

1 – cucumber

2 Tbsp – white vine vinegar

2 cloves – Garlic, finely crushed

4 Tbsp – extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

pepper

Dil leaves

Fresh olives

Method

Wash the cucumber thoroughly and grate through the large holes of the grater, without peeling

Place in a colander, sprinkle salt over it and let it sit for few minutes.

Then press with your palms to squeeze all the water out.

Put the yogurt, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, grated cucumber and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and mix it well.

Place the Tzatziki in the refrigerator at least for an hour before serving.

It is important that the cucumber is drained well other wise Tzatziki will be watery.

Add finely chopped dil or spearmint for extra flavour.

Top it with fresh olives and olive oil before serving. Serve it with breads or grilled veggies.