Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 250 g greek yogurt, chilled
- 1 cucumber, whole
Flavorings
- 10 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 garlic, minced to paste
- 4 g salt
- 1 g ground cumin
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 31 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 205 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 2 mg
- Potassium
- 50 mg
- Calcium
- 37 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 5 mg
- Phosphorus
- 8 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 21 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 52 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Wash the cucumber and trim the ends. Grate the cucumber using the coarse side of a box grater (leaving the skin on adds color and texture).
Place the grated cucumber in a sieve or colander set over a bowl. Toss with half the salt (2g) and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
Using your hands or a cheesecloth, firmly squeeze the grated cucumber to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the liquid.
In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lime juice, remaining salt (2g), chopped mint, and optional cumin. Whisk until smooth.
Fold the squeezed cucumber into the yogurt mixture until evenly distributed.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to firm up.
Chef's Notes
- For the best texture, use English or Persian cucumbers which have fewer seeds and thinner skins than standard slicing cucumbers.
- If pairing with extremely spicy Thai dishes, consider adding a pinch of sugar (2-3g) to the yogurt to help neutralize the capsaicin burn.
- The garlic should be mashed into a paste with the side of a knife and a pinch of salt to avoid biting into raw garlic chunks.
- Leftover sauce makes an excellent marinade for chicken or lamb due to the tenderizing properties of the yogurt enzymes and lactic acid.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Stir before serving as some water separation may occur.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too watery/runny
Cause: Insufficient liquid removed from the cucumber
Fix: Stir in a spoonful of very thick strained yogurt or labneh if available; otherwise, refrigerate longer to let thickeners set
Prevention: Salt the cucumber and squeeze remarkably hard until it is almost dry pulp
Cultural Context
While similar to Indian Raita or Greek Tzatziki, this variation emphasizes lime and mint to bridge the gap with Southeast Asian flavor profiles. Yogurt-based condiments are universally used across warm climates to temper the heat of spicy curries and fried foods.
