As you know, I am always looking for recipes that I can then teach my students. I came across a recipe like this and it sounded deliciously simple. From cooking Turkish food I have plenty of the most fragrant dried mint on hand. Greek yogurt, olive oil, cucumbers and extra virgin olive oil are pretty much staples in my kitchen, so the only thing I had to source was the edible rose petals, which are so beautiful and exotic!
This dip - for lack of a better word for it - is healthy, easy to make, satiating and delicious. I served it with lamb meatballs and plenty of pita bread for a fantastic dinner. All you would need to round it up is a bright colourful salad and you will have the most epic meal ever.
A couple of notes on this: as with simple recipes with few ingredients, the quality of said ingredients is of the upmost importance. Use the best, thickest yogurt you can find - I love Icelandic style yogurt for its texture and high protein content; Turkish dried mint is really in a place apart from others - highly fragrant, it perfumes the whole dish in the most pleasant way. Freshly toasted walnuts add plenty of texture and crunch, just make sure not to over toast them - 8-10 minutes at 350°F should do it, and make sure to remove them from the baking tray as soon as they come out of the oven so they don’t continue cooking. As for the cucumbers, I like to use the small Lebanese style cukes, as they have smaller seeds than English or field cucumbers, making this mixture less watery, which is important. Finally, use the best extra virgin olive oil you have - I keep the best for dishes like this. Add a bit to the mixture and then finish the dish with a garnish of the golden oil. If you happen to have a Middle Eastern grocer near you, look for the edible rose petals. They make the most beautiful garnish and add a touch of the exotic to this recipe. Whatever you have leftover can be used to make some fragrant and delicious teas.
I hope you try this recipe, it is super easy to put together and whether you serve it with meatballs or just as a part of a meze spread, it may just become a part of your repertoire along with the Greek tzatziki.
PERSIAN YOGURT AND CUCUMBER DIP
1 cup finely chopped Lebanese cucumbers
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp dried mint
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped finely
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus a bit more for garnish
Edible rose petals, optional, for garnish
In medium bowl, combine cucumbers, yogurt, dried mint and walnuts. Stir well and season with salt to taste.
Garnish with edible rose petals, if using, another sprinkle of mint and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Makes about 2 cups.