Yogurt Dip (Cacik)
Cacik is a garlicky yogurt sauce that is often served alongside grilled meats as well as a meze dish. Its close cousin is haydari, often served alongside raki, an aniseed spirit, and made with very thick strained yogurt called süzme. (To make süzme, line a colander with clean muslin or a clean dish cloth and drain three times the quantity of yogurt in it over a sink or bowl overnight and continue as for the recipe below.) Cacik is sometimes diluted with water or milk to make it soupier.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 cup (8 1/2 fl. oz./250 ml) plain Turkish or Greek-style yogurt
- 1/3 cup (2 oz./60 g) grated cucumber, liquid squeezed out
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped and mashed to a paste
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. dried mint (optional)
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
Directions
In a bowl, mix 1 tsp. of the dill with the yogurt, cucumber, garlic and olive oil. Taste and add the mint, lemon juice and salt gradually, tasting until you have a tangy sauce, flavored to your liking. Spoon into a small serving bowl and garnish with the remaining 1 tsp. dill. Serves 4.
Adapted from Istanbul, by Rebecca Seal (Hardie Grant Books, 2013).