Mast-o Khiar (Persian Cucumber and Herb Yogurt)
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- ¼cup black or golden raisins
- 3Persian cucumbers (about ½ pound)
- 24ounces Greek yogurt or labneh (3 cups)
- 2tablespoons any combination of finely chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, basil, tarragon or dill
- 1garlic clove, finely grated or pounded into a smooth paste with a pinch of salt
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¾teaspoon ground or crumbled dried rose petals (optional)
- 1teaspoon dried mint
- 1teaspoon dried dill
- 3tablespoons roughly chopped toasted walnut pieces
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
176 calories; 10 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 452 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
In a small bowl, submerge the raisins in boiling water to plump for 10 minutes, then drain well.
- Step 2
Remove alternating stripes of peel on cucumbers and trim ends. Dice cucumbers into ¼-inch pieces and place in a large bowl with raisins, yogurt, fresh herbs, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and, if using, half the rose petals. Using your fingers to break up any large pieces, gently grind the dried mint and dried dill into the bowl. Stir to combine and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
- Step 3
Just before serving, stir in the walnuts and transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with remaining rose petals, if using. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Private Notes
Comments
Unbelievable. I've never had anything like it. AMAZING. Labneh it is not even comparable to greek yogurt. Get the labneh if you can. used cilantro and curly parsley as the fresh chopped herbs. Sprinkled it fresh rose petals from the garden which added an ethereal dimension - did not use dried rose petals. plump the raisins. Dried hard raisins will not do. Incredible. Very special recipe! Thank you!
Unbelievable is right. I made a Samin based Persian meal last night for a good friend and it was the best meal I've made in a long time. Skillet Chicken with cumin and paprika, Radish and herb salad with feta, rainbow quinoa salad and this served with warm pita. Unbelievable! I didn't have rose petals, but did have rose water so added a bit.
If you don't have dried rose petals, you can swap out chopped, dried, candied cranberries. Nice sweet/tart flavour + beautiful magenta pink colour. From Heidi Swanson's wonderful recipe. She adores dried rose petals and uses both them and the cranberries. https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/mastokhiar-yogurt-dip-recipe.html
Agree with Liza Z on making your own Labneh... by simply draining yogurt. So easy! Less $ too. Now, what to do with the liquid? It's whey, as in "curds and...", you probably are buying it in your dry protein powder. Very, very nutritious, don't toss ! Add it to: - marinades - bread muffins, biscuits etc. ingredients - beans, nuts, rice, etc when pre-soaking - smoothies, juices, etc - your favorite pet's food Whey will add so many benefits to your foods and body!
This is absolutely perfect! Make it and use on everything from scrambled eggs, veg dip, sandwiches. Best recipe for this type of sauce I’ve ever had. Thank you!
I only had plain sheep’s milk yogurt on hand. I used a cheesecloth to drain most of the liquid from the yogurt before adding the other ingredients. I also used dried apricots in place of the raisins. Worked like a charm. Maybe not totally authentic, but we enjoyed the flavor. Nice and tangy.
Advertisement