This Persian staple is a creamy dip made with Greek yoghurt, cucumber, fresh lime juice, mint and garlic. Often served as an appetiser or alongside main dishes.
What is Maast O’Khiar?
Maast O’Khiar is a Persian dip made with salted strained yoghurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon or lime juice, and mint.
It is commonly served as a cold appetiser or as a side dish at Persian gatherings or restaurants. It is a creamy and fresh tasting dip, perfectly balancing Persian dishes ranging from the stews to the kebabs.
Most of you will be familiar with this dip or similar-style dips eaten across the Levantine / Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean parts of the world. Maast O’Khiar is the Persian name for our version of the yoghurt and cucumber dip, but you may know it as Tzatziki (Greek version), Cacik (Turkish version), Talattouri (Cypriot version), Jaan-e-ama (the Afghan version).
Preparation
There are various ways of preparing this dip when it comes to the cucumber element. Some peel, de-seed and dice the cucumber. Others grate it. This recipe uses the whole cucumber, including the skin, grated and mixed into Greek yogurt. The yoghurt is further flavoured with a combination of dried and fresh mint, garlic and lime juice.
My favourite Greek yoghurt is Total 5% which you can purchase from most British supermarkets. Any other Greek yoghurt or Greek-style yoghurt is fine to substitute.
This is a super easy dip to make but, in order for the flavours to intensify and settle properly into the dip, I would recommend making it a day before you want to tuck into it. At the very least a 1 hour resting time.
Variations
Persians also vary their Maast O’Khiar by mixing in sultanas and walnuts and / or sprinkling with dried rose petals as a garnish, so feel free to mix it up if you fancy!
Lemon juice can be used as a substitute to lime juice. Also feel free to use herbs such as dill, coriander or parsley if you don’t like mint.
How to Serve Maast O’Khiar
This dip can be eaten as an appetiser with a variety of crudités, crisps and flatbread. As an accompaniment to the main event, if you are making a Persian spread of food, a bowl of this dip will compliment all the dishes as pictured below.
Other Yoghurt Based Dips
Click on the link below for other delicious Persian yoghurt dips:
- Maast O’Moosir (Persian Shallot & yoghurt dip);
- Borani Laboo (Persian beetroot and yoghurt dip); and
- Borani Esfenaj (Persian Spinach and yoghurt dip)
Maast O'Khiar
Ingredients
- 500 g strained Greek Yoghurt (I use Total 5%)
- 1/2 large cucumber (grated with skin and seeds)
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp fresh mint (chopped)
- 1 large clove garlic (crushed)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (and extra to drizzle on top)
- Juice of half a lime
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- Fresh mint and chopped cucumber (to garnish)
Instructions
- Take a bowl, add the yoghurt, grated cucumber, dried mint, fresh mint, crushed garlic, 1 tbsp of olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning or other flavours as desired.
- Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for the flavours to intensify and mix well through the yoghurt (no less than 1 hour). When you are ready to serve the Maast O'Khiar, drizzle some olive oil on top and decorate with fresh mint and / or cucumber and / or dried rose petals and / or dried mint.
- Serve alongside a Persian spread, as part of a mezze-style spread of dishes, or as an appetiser. Or like some Iranians, sit in front of the telly with a bowl of Maast O'Khiar and a massive bag of crisps and dip away!
