This past week I made Chicken Masala (I won’t put a recipe here as I used a pre-made sauce; if I make it again from scratch, you’ll be the first to know!), and as a great side dish, a cool, refreshing bowl of Tatziki Sauce. The secret to this sauce is a no-brainer: 1 bag of peppermint tea. Just the contents, no water, no bag. Most people don’t always have fresh mint on hand, though they might have mint tea bags; they are made of straight-up, dried mint leaves, they store well compared to the fresh product, and are the perfect spice for this dish, already crumbled as finely as any spice in your cabinet. If you have fresh mint, adjust the amount to taste. So without further ado:
Tatziki Sauce
1/4 cucumber, finely diced
2 C. plain yogurt (any kind will do; use Greek yogurt for a thicker sauce, or add a bit of stiff sour cream)
1 lemon’s juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 bag of mint tea – rip open and pour in the contents
a dash of two of dried dill, or 1/2 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
For garnish: Finely chopped greens from a spring onion
Prepare the ingredients as above, and mix all together except the garnish. Chill until ready to serve, sprinkling the garnish atop the sauce. This goes great with any spicy Indian or Middle Eastern dish.
Tip:
If your meal is a spicy one, have a few boiled eggs on hand for your guests; they’ll take the sting out !
CuppaNatter 