Tzatziki- Greek Yogurt & Cucumber Dip

Tzatziki is a Greek strained yogurt and cucumber dip which is served also as a sauce with appropriate main course. I had tried tzatziki while in US using thick Greek Yogurt but somehow found that it was very liquidy or watery (similar to normal raitha) and felt something amiss. After coming back I saw Chef George Calombaris explaining how to make a perfect tzatziki in MasterChef Australia and tried it with regular yogurt available here. It definitely worked and here is the simple dip in my words.

Ingredients:
Cucumber: at least 1 medium peeled
Yogurt: atleast 2 cups

Garlic: 1/2 small clove finely grated
Shallots/ pearl onions: 1 small coarsely grated
Fresh Dill : small bunch finely chopped
Zest of 1 small lemon
Cayenne Pepper: a small pinch

Olive Oil: 2-3 tbsp atleast

Preparation:

Strain the yogurt by pouring it in a cheesecloth and letting the whey/liquid flow out into a bowl. Keep this overnight in the fridge or atleast 2-3 hours. I did this overnight. You can use this post for straining the yogurt.

Coarsely grate the peeled cucumber and squeeze out liquid from this.You can grate it on top of a tray covered with cheesecloth so that the liquid drains away.To this,mix in little salt and cover it with  another clean cloth,leave for 5 minutes and then squeeze out the remaining liquid.To simplify, I squeezed out the grated cucumbers,mixed in salt, after few minutes again squeezed out. Make sure most of the liquid is removed from cucumbers and the yogurt as it affects the consistency of the dip which should be very thick.

To the thickened yogurt,mix in grated shallot, grated garlic,chopped dill,lemon zest and cayenne pepper.Add the squeezed out cucumbers and stir until combined.Add olive oil and mix well. Serve topped with more olive oil and dill leaves as a dip with chips/fresh veggies or as per choice.

Delectable dip this was and almost same as the tzatziki I had tried or seen. Perfect for the hot weather as well. Make your own and enjoy.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Watermelon for me is always sweet.I go for pops or juices or sorbets but enjoys it as such most of the times.  I never experiment with watermelon despite being inspired by several savoury recipes that I see in blogosphere. But this summer I thought I should try a simple gazpacho with it just for a change.

A gazpacho is a raw tomato based soup from Spain and watermelon gazpacho is an equally popular variation of the traditional one.I have adapted Tyler Florence's recipe from the FoodNetwork snd it turned out to be good or much better than expected. I was apprehensive before tasting it and was surprised that I could relate to the taste.

Ingredients:

Tomato: 1 small or 1/4 cup chopped
Watermelon: cubed 2 cups +more for garnish (optional)
Red onion: 2-3 tbsp
Cucumber: 2-3 tbsp + more for garnish

Garlic: 1 small clove
Green Chilly: 1 small(hot) or as per taste
Mint leaves: few as per taste

Salt, Pepper: as per taste

Red Wine Vinegar: 1 dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 2 tsp

Preparation:

Puree the melon,tomato,cucumber and onion together with little quantity of mint,garlic and chilly. Add salt and pepper and adjust the chilly. Make sure the garlic and mint are not overpowering. Add in red wine vinegar and EVOO and give a final blend.Do the taste test and adjust the seasoning.

You will be having a tangy,red,thick and spicy liquid.Chill till serving time. Garnish with cubed cucumber/melon croutons and serve as a cold starter.

A tangy and cold red soupThe mint leaves an understated refreshing taste. Instead of mint, dill leaves can be used and are more popular in gazpachos.The watermelon is there for colour and a hint of sweetness. Again it depends on the ratio of ingredients that you have used.

I won't say the soup was excellent,but it was nice and palatable.My daughter did not touch this  but yes, the official head of the family gave his stamp of approval and had more than his fair share. :) A nice twist to the sweet melon and good for summer too. Atleast people who love tanginess should try it out.