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Haydari
Thick strained yogurt with feta, garlic, mint and dill
Order meze in an Istanbul meyhane and haydari is usually among the first small plates to land: very thick strained yogurt beaten with crumbled white cheese, garlic, dill and mint, then crowned with a drizzle of oil warmed with dried mint and chilli flakes. It is eaten with bread, beside roasted vegetables or with crisp börek, and it takes minutes once you have the yogurt. The mistake to avoid is using thin pouring yogurt, which gives you a runny sauce rather than a dip that holds its shape. Chef's tip: use Greek-style strained yogurt, or hang plain yogurt in a cloth for an hour, and check the beyaz peynir or feta is made with vegetarian rennet.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: In a bowl beat 14 oz thick strained yogurt (süzme yoğurt or Greek yogurt) with a fork until smooth. Add 2 ⅞ oz white cheese (beyaz peynir) or feta, 1 garlic clove, ⅓ oz fresh dill, ⅛ oz fresh mint and ¼ tsp salt and mash together until creamy, with a few small pieces of cheese still visible. Taste before adding more salt: the cheese is already salty.
Step 2: Spread into a shallow dish, making a hollow in the centre with the back of a spoon.
Step 3: Warm 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a small pan over a low heat for about 1 minute, until it just shimmers. Take off the heat and stir in 1 tsp dried mint and ½ tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber); they should fizz gently and the oil turn red. If they darken or smell burnt, start again.
2 minStep 4: Spoon the warm oil over the haydari and serve straight away with bread or crackers, or chill for up to 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haydari take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 2 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of thick strained yogurt (süzme yoğurt or greek yogurt)?
- Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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