Authentic Greek Tzatziki Food

AUTHENTIC TZATZIKI SAUCE RECIPE (GREEK YOGURT, CUCUMBER DIP)

Steps:

• To prepare this authentic Greek tzatziki sauce recipe, remove the skin and the seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and leave aside for 10 minutes.
• Afterwards, wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze, in order to get rid of the excess water.
• Assemble the tzatziki sauce. In a bowl, add the cucumber, the minced garlic and olive oil, the yogurt, 1-2 tbsps of red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and blend, until the ingredients are combined. Store the tzatziki sauce in the fridge and always serve cold. (Alternatively, if you have a blender, pour in the olive oil and garlic and blend until combined. Then mix with the rest of the ingredients using a spoon. This will help the garlic to mix better with the rest of the ingredients).
• Prepare this traditional tzatziki sauce for your friends and family and serve as a delicious dip with some warm pita breads aside, or as a sauce for Greek-style souvlaki. Enjoy!

AUTHENTIC GREEK TZATZIKI (GYRO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Grate the cucumber and optionally sprinkle with salt (this will help extract the excess liquid). Set aside for 10 minutes.I say that the salt is optional because the cucumber juice that you squeeze from the cucumber is delightful as a drink - but maybe not so much if it's salty!
• Place the rested cucumber into a nut milk back or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much excess water as possible.Alternatively, you can salt the cucumbers and leave them in a colander to naturally drain with the help of gravity (this will provide the best texture of the cucumber). However, this will take a far longer resting time (like overnight!), so I usually avoid it.
• Finely chop the dill and grate or mince the garlic. If you need help peeling garlic, I've tried and tested several methods previously.
• Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
• For the best flavor, allow the Greek sauce to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours but even better overnight. This will give the flavors a chance to properly meld together and tastes better than directly after making it.
• Before serving, give it one last taste and adjust any of the ingredients if needed (more salt, acidity, etc. Then drizzle with a bit of additional olive oil, and enjoy!
• Store: If you've carefully drained the cucumber, then leftover tzatziki sauce will last, covered, in the refrigerator for between 3-4 days.

TZATZIKI RECIPE AS MADE IN GREECE

Steps:

• Add the Greek yogurt to a large mixing bowl and work it with a hand whisk to become really smooth and creamy. Making sure there aren't any lumps in it.
• Squeeze the grated cucumber with your hands to remove most of its water. Then add to the mixing bowl along with the Greek yogurt.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl as well and mix very well.
• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving for the garlic to cool down a bit. Or even better overnight. If you like raw garlic you can serve this dip right away, along with some pita bread or rustic artisan bread!

AUTHENTIC GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the cucumber.
• Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthways; scrape out all the seeds. Grate cucumber with a cheese grater into a sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Strain out as much liquid as possible by pressing down in the sieve with the palm of your hand. Alternately you can wring cucumber out in a clean tea towel. Add cucumber and yogurt to the garlic mixture. Mix until well combined and season with salt to taste.

AUTHENTIC GREEK TZATZIKI SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Grate the cucumber and drain through a fine mesh sieve overnight in the fridge. If you don't have time to do the overnight drain, just gently press the cucumber in the sieve to press out more of the liquid.
• Combine the yogurt, garlic, oil, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you want to serve this immediately, then you can skip the overnight part.
• Transfer the grated cucumber and fresh dill to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Serve chilled with pita bread for dipping.

TZATZIKI SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumbers or you can use a small food processor to finely chop the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheese cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. (There will be a lot of liquid).
• In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with remaining 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
• Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper, and the fresh herbs (if using. I did not use fresh herbs in the video). Stir to combine well.
• Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve with your favorite veggies, pita chips or wedges (be sure to read the post for more ideas on how to use this sauce)!

AUTHENTIC TZATZIKI - GREEK GARLIC YOGURT DIP

Steps:

• Crush the garlic with a little bit of salt and pepper.
• Peel the cucumber and grate. Squeeze well to get rid of water.
• Whip the yogurt in a bowl and then add the garlic paste, mixing well and then add the cucumber and mix again.
• Start adding small amounts of olive oil alternating with the vinegar while mixing.
• Add about 2 teaspoons fresh dill and mix well.
• Let it sit at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving.

TRADITIONAL GREEK TZATZIKI RECIPE

Steps:

• Shred the cucumber and if it is very watery drain it through the strainer. You can also leave it to drain for half hour or even over night in a fridge.
• Add minced garlic, chopped dill, yogurt, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Let the flavors merge for at least half hour.
• Serve it with grilled meats, veggies or as an appetizer with pita bread.

GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Add lemon zest, dill, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. Pour into a serving dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

TRADITIONAL GREEK CHICKEN GYRO WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine Greek yogurt, garlic, cumin, sugar, cucumber, and salt and pepper. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Pound chicken as thin as you can get it. Even if you have purchased the thin sliced chicken you still want to get it as thin as possible. Place chicken in a bowl and combine with vinegar, oregano, paprika, and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• In the mean time, peel you potato and cut into 1/4 inch strips. Place cut potato in cold water for at least 15 minutes. Blanching the potatoes before frying will ensure a crispier fry.
• In a large skillet heat vegetable oil. Personally, I regulate the temperature by instinct. I let the oil heat up and test it with a drop of water; if the water shoots back I know the oil is hot enough. If you aren't comfortable with this method you want the oil to stay around 360 degrees. When the oil is hot enough drop fries inches Depending on the thickness of your fry and your temperature control your fries will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. You want your fries to have a deep golden brown. Keep a careful eye on them and flip if necessary.
• Heat a medium DRY skillet. No oil is necessary to sauté the chicken. Begin to sauté chicken. It should only take about 1 minute on each side depending upon how thinly you pounded it. Let chicken rest under tin foil until you are ready to assemble.
• You can either toast your pita or microwave it. I prefer to microwave it so it is more pliable (only about 20 seconds). Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the tzatziki sauce and spread over pita. Then place half of the chicken, place mostly in the center, making sure that you are able to fold in the sides. Traditionally, fries are to be placed on top of chicken WITHOUT drying off the oil; however this is entirely up to you. Place fries on top of chicken and top with tomatoes, lettuce, and red onions. Serve with extra tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping.

TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Grate the cucumber using the large side of the grater, and place it into a colander.
• Salt well, and allow to drain for 30 minutes.
• Pour the yogurt into a salad bowl.
• Squeeze the cucumber to completely wring out as much water as possible, then add to the yogurt.
• Add the chopped garlic, dried mint, and dill. Mix well.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add olive oil, and mix well.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.