Name: Persian Cucumber Yogurt (Maast-o Khiar)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 1 min
Ingredients: 1 (32 ounce) container plain yogurt; 3 English cucumbers, peeled and cubed; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 5 tablespoons dried dill weed; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pepper

This cool and healthy dip can be served along side rice and meat, or simply with bread.  No Persian meal is complete without Maast-o khiar! This dish is best if refrigerated for a few hours, but if you are strapped for time feel free to serve after mixing. Don't be afraid to get creative!  Try adding spinach, raisins, or walnuts.  Other herbs could be used as well (i.e. mint, tarragon, oregano).  More cucumbers, less shallots...it's your call!  Enjoy!

Persian Cucumber Yogurt (Maast-o Khiar)

(32 ounce) container plain yogurt

cucumbers,

garlic,

shallot, finely chopped

dill weed

salt

pepper

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and shallot. Season with dill, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors.


I am Persian also, and I agree that Maast-o-Khiar can not be forgotten in any meal. 

A tip for anyone making this is if don't use garlic. Garlic makes the dish taste a little less tasty. Also, the tradition is to use a grater to grate the cucumbers, not to cube them! Just thought I would share with everyone.

In Malta this is called Tzatziki. Seems its popular all over? Very good and a grat cool summer side dish. Its also versitile I play around with this recipe depending on whats available. Its really good with a few sliced black olives. Sometimes I add chopped nuts too! No plain yogurt? More than once I have used sour cream and cream cheese mixed. Great with Gyro's!

My husband is Persian and he just loved this! He said it was better than his mother's=) From having eaten this before, I did leave out the garlic as I don't remember it having garlic in there and it was the exact flavor I expected. We ate it with lavash(flat bread) and Kabob...YUM!!

Deelicious! Reminiscent of Hungarian cucumber salad.Added a little seasoned salt or celery salt.

Refreshing on a hot summer day. My husband said it was just like the stuff they serve in Turkey. I added a little celery seed because I like it--but the recipe is perfect as is.

Great. Very reminiscent of tzaziki just a little more mellow. I skipped the shallot because I didn't have any. Served with kabobs that were pretty oniony so I didn't miss it. Thanks for the recipe!

We just did not care for this as written...WAY too much cucumber (we used 3 english) and dill for the amount of yogurt. We started over - vastly reducing those items and maintaining the other ingredients as written and it was much more to our liking.

Very nice as salad dressing! A keeper definetely. One can vary with chopped fresh herbs add some olive oil cumin... I love it!

I have returned to this recipe over and over again for the past 5ish years. I rarely put the full amount of cucumber and never full amount of dill but we love this tasty condiment. If you have trouble with wateriness be sure to seed your cucumbers.

Persian Cucumber Yogurt (Maast-o Khiar)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total: 1 hours, 15 minutes

Servings: 16

Author : SASHAYEGHI

Ingredients

Instructions

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