Cacik

Name: Cacik
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: turkish
Ingredients: 500g thick natural yogurt; 2 tsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp dried mint plus extra to garnish; 1 English cucumber or 2-3 x Middle Eastern cucumbers (approx 400g); 2 garlic cloves crushed

⏱ 15 mins 🍽 Serves 8 🌶 turkish ✅ Easy 🏷 Side dish

This traditional Turkish side dish combines thick, strained natural yogurt with freshly grated cucumber, aromatic garlic and dried mint. The result is a refreshingly cool and creamy dip, perfect for serving alongside grilled meats, breads or as part of a meze spread. The preparation involves straining the yogurt for a minimum of 12 hrs to achieve its signature thick texture before mixing with the other ingredients. It yields 8 portions and takes just 15 minutes of active preparation time.

Ingredients

500g thick natural yogurt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried mint plus extra to garnish
1 English cucumber or 2-3 x Middle Eastern cucumbers (approx 400g)
2 garlic cloves crushed

Method

Place a sieve over a large bowl and line it with a thick sheet of non-dyed kitchen paper or a clean muslin cloth. Spoon the yogurt into the lined sieve, cover with another sheet of paper, and allow it to strain in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hrs.
In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, most of the olive oil and the dried mint. Stir thoroughly to allow the mint to soften and absorb the liquid. Mix in the strained yogurt, then discard the liquid from the straining bowl and set that bowl aside.
Cut the cucumber(s) in half lengthways. Use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds by running it along the length of each half. Halve the cucumber pieces widthways for easier handling, then coarsely grate them into the bowl that was used for straining the yogurt. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the grated cucumber using clean hands or a clean muslin cloth.
Combine the squeezed cucumber, crushed garlic and ¾ tsp flaky salt with the yogurt mixture. Stir everything together well. Finish by drizzling with the remaining extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling with a little extra dried mint.