Beginner
Turkish
Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs)
Source: Home cook
20 min2260 kcal
VegetarianGluten-freeHalal🌶️
Haydari (Thick Herbed Yogurt Dip)
Strained yogurt beaten thick with garlic, dill and mint and pooled with olive oil — the cool, tangy meze that sits between the raki and the grill at any Turkish meyhane.
Source
Recipe by Turkish home kitchens · 🏺 Traditional · Household and neighbourhood cooking carried across Türkiye — no single author owns these dishes
Turkish · traditional dish — An ownerless traditional dish, so no individual cook is credited. The cited article documents haydari as a Turkish meze of strained yogurt with garlic and herbs. Quantities and step wording here are this book's own.
Watch it being made · 3 videos
⏱ 15 min🍽 4 servings🔥 140 kcal🇹🇷 Turkey
VegetarianGluten-freeNut-freeHalal
Steps
If your yogurt is loose, spoon it into a cloth-lined sieve set over a bowl and let it drain in the fridge 2–3 hours until very thick.
Crush the garlic with a pinch of the salt into a smooth paste.
💡 Salting the garlic as you crush it breaks it down smoothly and takes the harsh raw edge off.
Put the thick yogurt in a bowl and beat it smooth with a spoon.
Beat in the garlic paste.
Add most of the olive oil, keeping a little back to finish, and beat until glossy.
Stir in the chopped fresh dill.
Rub the dried mint between your fingers to wake it up and stir it in, along with the fresh mint.
Season with the rest of the salt and taste — it should be garlicky, herby and tangy.
Chill 30 minutes for the flavours to come together.
Spread onto a plate with the back of a spoon, making swirls to hold the oil.
Drizzle with the reserved olive oil, scatter the pepper flakes over, and serve with warm flatbread.
💡 Tips
- Straining the yogurt is the step that gives haydari its thick, scoopable body — don't skip it.
- Some cooks fold in a spoon of crumbled feta for extra tang and body.
You might also like
Share this recipe
Made this? Share a photo in Showcase.
Share your creation →