Cacık (Turkish Yogurt and Cucumber Side Dish)
This authentic Turkish cacık recipe is made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dried mint. A refreshing side dish that's ready in just 5 minutes.
Video
INGREDIENTS
- 300 g / 1¼ cups plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 60 ml / ¼ cup cold water
- 1 clove garlic grated or mashed
- 150 g cucumber (about ½ English cucumber or 2 medium Persian cucumbers) diced into small cubes
Optional toppings (per serving):
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch dried mint
- 1 pinch pul biber Turkish red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper)
- 1 pinch sumac
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, salt and dried mint.
- Gradually pour in the cold water, whisking until smooth. Add a little more or less water if you prefer a thinner or thicker cacık.
- Stir in the mashed or grated garlic.
- Now add the diced cucumber into the yogurt mixture. Combine everything well.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Divide the cacık into serving bowls. If desired, drizzle each bowl with olive oil and sprinkle with a little dried mint, pul biber and/or sumac.
- Serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.
NOTES
We like our cacık not too thick and not too thin, but feel free to make it however you like. Just add a little more or less cold water.
In Türkiye, cucumbers aren't squeezed when making cacık. We dice them and want them to stay crunchy, so we never squeeze them.
Turkish yogurt usually has a nice tanginess that gives cacık its refreshing flavor. If your yogurt isn't tangy at all, add a small squeeze of lemon juice to get a similar flavor.
NUTRITION
Calories: 62kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 161IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
ADDITIONAL INFO
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