# Tzatziki Sauce



## milford (Mar 11, 2018)

Does anyone know how to make this? I found one recipe calling for 2 cups Greek yogurt and 1 cup of grated cucumber. Another recipe I found calls for 2 cups Greek yogurt and a "whole" grated cucumber. 
  How much cucumber is proper?  Is this just a matter of taste?


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## Rocklobster (Mar 11, 2018)

I'd say it is a matter of taste, for sure..It is predominantly yogurt, then cucumber and the other ingredients, so you decide..I wouldn't go too heavy on the cucumber because it will become runny as it ages because the cucumber renders its water...
 Remember to take the seeds out of the cucumber first..


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## tenspeed (Mar 11, 2018)

I eyeball the yogurt to get the consistency I want, but it's probably around 1-1/2 cups.  It's really a personal preference.  I use a whole English cucumber (the ones that come in plastic wrap) so I don't have to seed a regular cucumber.  Peel it, grate it with a box grater, sprinkle with salt to draw out water, and drain.  I put the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much water as I can.  If it will be used as a dip I'll chop it a bit further so there are no long pieces.  Garlic and dill to taste.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 11, 2018)

I use the shredder on my food processor to shred the cucumber, then tilt it to drain while I get the rest of the ingredients ready. I use 1/2 of an English cucumber per 2 cups of Greek yogurt.


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## medtran49 (Mar 11, 2018)

I use a whole cucumber and 2 small (individual) containers of yogurt. I also add in a good dollop of sour cream to cut some of the yogurty taste.  I also grate, salt, drain, and squeeze the cucumber to get as much liquid out as possible.  Then I add a clove or 2 of finely minced garlic depending on clove size, some chopped up fresh dill and a little bit of lemon or lime juice, also S and P.  The important thing to remember is you can always add more, but you can't take away with the garlic, dill and citrus juice especially.


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## milford (Mar 11, 2018)

tenspeed said:


> Peel it, grate it with a box grater, sprinkle with salt to draw out water, and drain.  I put the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much water as I can.



Do you rinse the salt off the cucumber then wring?


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## Steve Kroll (Mar 11, 2018)

Here's a recipe I posted a few years back. It makes pretty darn good tzatziki, if I do say so myself...
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/homemade-gyros-with-tzatziki-sauce-89641.html


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## Andy M. (Mar 11, 2018)

It appears you can make it with either dill or mint.


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## Kayelle (Mar 11, 2018)

Steve Kroll said:


> Here's a recipe I posted a few years back. It makes pretty darn good tzatziki, if I do say so myself...
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/homemade-gyros-with-tzatziki-sauce-89641.html



Not only is your tzatziki sauce spot on Steve, this whole recipe for the gyros is one of my all time favorite recipes from Discuss Cooking. 
I'm about due to make it yet again.


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## di reston (Mar 11, 2018)

When I was working as a consular official for the Italian Consulate years ago, I used to go across the road for lunch. Here is the recipe they gave me for Tziki:

1 pint of plain yoghurt
1 clove garlic
half English cucumber, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon 
1 tbsp lemon juice, or mild vinegar
Fresh mint, chopped, ratio 1 part mint to 10 parts yoghurt
salt.

It's so simple: beat the yoghurt and add the rest of the ingredients, and then beat sauce again. Use immediately.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast    Oscar Wilde


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## buckytom (Mar 11, 2018)

This doesn't really help as far as cuke to yogurt ratio goes, but here's my tnt recipe for Tsatsiki sauce.

Oh, and don't rinse off the salt. You'll just add moisture into what you were trying to dry out, and it's the way salt is added in the recipe

Buckytom's binasic tzatziki sauce

500 ml, or 1 pint Greek-style yogurt, drained if necessary (start with more than a pint if it needs to drain)

3 to 7 cloves of garlic to taste, the more the better imo

1 medium cucumber 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

1. Peel and seed cucumber. Cut into very thin strips, sprinkle with salt, let rest a few minutes, pressing gently between paper towels to dry, then dice. The more cucumber you use, the more you need to dry it or the sauce will become runny.

2. Mince garlic, combine with cucumber in a bowl.

3. Add evoo and red wine vinegar, stir to combine.

4. Add drained yougurt, stir well to combine, adding salt to taste.

5. This is the most important step: refrigerate overnight! The flavors need to combine.

Hth.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 11, 2018)

Andy M. said:


> It appears you can make it with either dill or mint.


I like both dill and mint in mine 

Here's my recipe I posted several years ago. 

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f76/tzatziki-greek-cucumber-and-yogurt-sauce-79903.html


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## Cheryl J (Mar 11, 2018)

Kayelle said:


> Not only is your tzatziki sauce spot on Steve, this whole recipe for the gyros is one of my all time favorite recipes from Discuss Cooking.
> I'm about due to make it yet again.


 
Oh, yes. I made this a year or so ago and loved it.  *Everyone's* tzatziki sauces sound so good and I'm so glad to see a revival of it here.  On the 'must make' recipe rotation here as well.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 11, 2018)

Cheryl J said:


> Oh, yes. I made this a year or so ago and loved it.  *Everyone's* tzatziki sauces sound so good and I'm so glad to see a revival of it here.  On the 'must make' recipe rotation here as well.


I actually made a batch Friday [emoji38] DH brought home some pita bread from the store because he wanted pita chips and I had a pound of ground lamb I needed to use. So I made Serious Eats' American-Style Gyros and used my tzatziki instead of the sauce in the recipe. Then I made pita chips Saturday, with Penzeys Mural of Flavor.

I especially love tzatziki in the summer with grilled meats


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## CharlieD (Mar 13, 2018)

milford said:


> Does anyone know how to make this? I found one recipe calling for 2 cups Greek yogurt and 1 cup of grated cucumber. Another recipe I found calls for 2 cups Greek yogurt and a "whole" grated cucumber.
> How much cucumber is proper?  Is this just a matter of taste?



As Rockblaster said, it is a matter of taste. But I'd go with cup measurement versus "a cucumber". How big of a cucumber, would be my first question. I'd say make it, taste it, decide how much you like personally.


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## larry_stewart (Mar 13, 2018)

I dont really use a recipe but this is what I do.

Yogurt - drained to thicken
peeled, seeded, grated Squeezed/ drained to remove liquid
Dill - chopped small
Garlic ( minced)
Lemon juice 
salt and pepper
Mix and let sit for a bit in the fridge.

I dont even need to put it on anything, ill just eat it with a spoon.
( I like mine cucumbery, so i go heavy on the cukes)


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## tenspeed (Mar 14, 2018)

larry_stewart said:


> I dont really use a recipe but this is what I do.
> 
> Yogurt - drained to thicken


When I made it with 'Merican yogurt I drained the yogurt over cheesecloth, as it contains a lot of water.  When I use Greek yogurt I omit this step.


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## CakePoet (Mar 14, 2018)

My Greek friend father used to say like this.

Grate a handful of cucumber, salt and leave for moment, then press out the water, add to enough yogurt  to make a thick sauce, add  olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper,  fresh herbs to taste.    

In his case  fresh herbs could be dill, mint or parsley.


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## Roll_Bones (Mar 17, 2018)

I like to drain the salted and grated cucumber (seeds removed regardless of name) over night in the fridge.  Covered with plastic wrap.
Then squeeze the heck out of it with a towel.

Don't forget the garlic!


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## di reston (Mar 17, 2018)

I stick with the recipe I was given by the Greek taverna in Manchester UK, and it always works. One caveat: it needs to be made and consumed immediately.


di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast     Oscar Wilde


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