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Garlic yoghurt sauce

Sauce · Middle Eastern

Garlic yoghurt sauce

Thick yoghurt with garlic, lemon and mint. Cool and tangy, for shawarma, falafel and spicy dishes.

10 min 5 min hands-on Serves 4 Middle Eastern Kid friendly

Garlic yoghurt sauce is an everyday companion in Middle Eastern cooking. Thick Greek yoghurt is mixed with grated garlic, lemon juice and mint. It takes 10 minutes and cools down anything spicy.

Ingredients

  • 250 g greek yoghurt
  • 1 garlic, clove, finely grated
  • ½ lemon, juiced (about 2 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
  • 1 tbsp mint, chopped, or dill
  • 2 tbsp water, cold, to loosen, optional (optional)
  • salt, to taste

Method

  1. Mix the grated garlic with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a bowl and leave it for 5 minutes. The lemon softens the sharp bite of the raw garlic.
  2. Stir in the yoghurt and most of the mint (or dill) until smooth. Taste and add a little more salt if it needs it. For a sauce you can drizzle, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold water, if using.
  3. Spoon it into a serving bowl, swirl the olive oil over the top and scatter over the rest of the mint. Goes best with our Chicken shawarma and Falafel, grilled lamb, roasted vegetables, and anything spicy that needs cooling down. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge.

Tips

  • Grate the garlic finely so it melts into the yoghurt instead of leaving raw chunks.
  • Use thick Greek yoghurt; thinner yoghurt makes a runny sauce.
  • Make it an hour ahead if you can; the garlic mellows as it sits.

Common questions

What can I use instead of Greek yoghurt?

Any thick plain yoghurt works. Strain a thinner yoghurt through a sieve lined with kitchen paper for 30 minutes to thicken it.

How long does garlic yoghurt sauce keep?

Up to 2 days in a covered bowl in the fridge. The garlic gets stronger as it sits.