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    Cooking Gorgeous » Recipes » Dips and Mezes

    Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip)

    Published: Jul 23, 2021 · Modified: Oct 9, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Haydari is a delicious Turkish Yoghurt Dip made with feta cheese, thick strained yogurt, fresh herbs, and chopped walnuts.

    This tangy dip is one of the most popular mezes in Turkey and also is widely served in Turkish restaurants with kebabs and Pita Bread along with Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme).

    Jump to:
    • What is a Meze?
    • What is Haydari?
    • Difference Between Haydari and Tzatziki
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip)

    What is a Meze?

    Meze is a selection of small dishes that are served as appetizers or snacks in Turkish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is a social dining experience where friends and family gather around a table to share and enjoy different flavors and textures.

    Meze can be cold or hot and can include a variety of dishes such as dips (Mutabal - Roasted Eggplant Dip), salads (Ezme Salad - Acili Ezme), seafood (Karides Güveç-Cheesy Baked Shrimps), and vegetables (Saksuka-Turkish Vegetable Meze). Similar to Spanish tapas, it is a great way to try new foods and experience the rich culinary traditions of the region.

    What is Haydari?

    Haydari is one of the most popular dips/mezze dishes served in Turkish restaurants. It is made with strained yogurt, white cheese, garlic, walnuts or pistachio, and fresh herbs, and has a creamy texture with a tangy and refreshing taste. It is typically served cold and can be enjoyed as a dip or spread with bread, crackers, or vegetables.

    Haydari is a popular dish in Turkish cuisine and is widely available in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants around the world.

    Difference Between Haydari and Tzatziki

    Haydari and tzatziki are both popular meze dips in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, but they have some differences in their ingredients and preparation.

    Haydari is a Turkish dip made with strained yogurt, feta cheese, garlic, fresh herbs such as dill or mint, and sometimes with walnuts or pistachio.

    Tzatziki (or Cacik in Turkish), on the other hand, is made with strained yogurt, garlic, cucumber, olive oil, and fresh herbs such as dill or mint.

    While both dips use yogurt as the main ingredient and have similar flavor profiles, the addition of cucumber and olive oil in tzatziki gives it a distinct taste and texture. Haydari, on the other hand, has a creamier and nuttier flavor due to the addition of walnuts.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • All you need to prepare this tasty meze dish is to gather a few ingredients and mix.
    • It is versatile. You can serve Haydari as a part of a meze platter, as a spread on a piece of toast for breakfast, or as a dipping sauce to serve with vegetable crudités, kebabs, and BBQs.
    • You can make this simple yogurt dip a couple of days ahead and keep it refrigerated until you need it.
    • This delicious and tangy Turkish mezze is extremely easy to make with a few fridge ingredients.

    Ingredients You'll Need

    Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

    Labelled picture of ingredients for haydari
    • Strained yogurt - It is also called sack yogurt, labneh, or kerned yogurt. You can buy them from most of the large supermarkets.
    • Feta cheese - I prefer feta cheese made with sheep milk with a high-fat content with a creamy texture.
    • Walnuts - It adds extra texture and nuttiness to the dip but you can omit them or use pistachio nuts if you prefer. Lightly toast your walnuts before using them for a more intense flavor.
    • Dill - It pairs perfectly with cheese and yogurt. You can use fresh mint alternatively.
    • Garlic - Use a fresh garlic clove for this recipe. Fresh garlic is a great flavoring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester.
    • Butter - It adds extra richness and body to the dip. Gently melt it with dried mint and some chili flakes before adding it to yogurt. You can substitute it with EVOO.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Making this delicious dip is very simple and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Place the feta cheese in a bowl and turn it into a paste using a fork. The texture of the cheese has an effect on the texture of the dip so the creamier the cheese better is the dip.

    Puréing the feta with the back of a fork

    Add the yogurt, garlic purée, finely chopped dill, and walnuts to the bowl and mix well. You can replace the dill with mint or use both together.

    the walnuts, yoghurt and herbs are added to feta

    Gently melt the butter (or heat the olive oil if not using butter) on low heat in a small saucepan and add the dry mint along with the chili flakes. Allow 5 minutes to infuse the oil with mint and chili.

    all the ingredients are mixed until all combined

    Transfer the yogurt and feta mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with chili flakes or a drizzle of olive oil.

    haydari dip is served with pita bread

    Enjoy it with our delicious Turkish Chicken Shish Kebab and fluffy Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • If you can't find thick strained yogurt, you can make your own by putting normal yogurt into a cheesecloth and waiting for a few hours until you get rid of the excess water in the yogurt.
    • Use fresh garlic for the best flavor, and add it gradually to adjust to your taste preference.
    • You can skip the walnuts if you want a smoother texture.
    • Allow the Haydari to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.

    Serving Suggestions

    You can serve this tangy yogurt dish as a dipping sauce for crudités, Homemade Wheat Tortilla Bread, Extra Crispy Halloumi Fries, or Greek Pita Bread.

    Or serve it with kebabs or BBQ dishes such as BBQ Garlic Butter Prawns, Adana Kebap (Adana Kofte), Patlican Kebabi - Eggplant Kebab, and Tas Kebabi - Turkish Beef Stew. You can also use it as a spread to make wraps or sandwiches. It also tastes great on a slice of Homemade Sandwich Bread for a quick breakfast.

    Recipe FAQs

    How to store the leftovers?

    The leftovers of Haydari dip would keep for up to 5 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.

    Can I freeze Haydari?

    No, I don't recommend freezing this dip as it would lose its texture and get watery when defrosted.

    Can I make it ahead?

    Yes, you can prepare Haydari a couple of days in advance and garnish it when you want to serve it.
    Make sure you give it a good stir before you plate it. This yogurt dip tastes even better after a day or two!

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious dip/mezze recipes why not try:

    • Circassian chicken served as a meze
      Çerkez Tavuğu - Circassian Chicken
    • spicy greek feta dip served in a bowl with pita bread
      Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feta Dip)
    • authentic hummus recipe
      Mediterranean Hummus Dip
    • aubergine dip without tahini
      Baba Ganoush Without Tahini

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Turkish yogurt dip Haydari as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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    Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip)

    Ayla Clulee
    Haydari is a delicious Turkish Yoghurt Dip made with feta cheese, thick strained yogurt, fresh herbs, and chopped walnuts. 
    5 from 12 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
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    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 151 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 Saucepan

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 75 g feta cheese
    • 200 g thick strained yoghurt
    • 1 clove garlic (turned into a paste with a pinch of salt)
    • 2 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)
    • 40 g walnut (finely chopped)
    • 25 g butter (to garnish)
    • ½ teaspoon dried mint
    • ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional) (to garnish)

    Instructions
     

    • Place the feta cheese in a bowl and turn it into a paste using a fork.
    • Gently melt the butter (or heat the olive oil if not using butter) on low heat in a small saucepan and add the dry mint along with the chili flakes. Allow 5 minutes to infuse the oil with mint and chili.
    • Add the yogurt, melted butter, garlic purée, finely chopped dill, and walnuts to the bowl and mix well.
    • Transfer the yogurt and feta mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with chili flakes or a drizzle of olive oil.

    Notes

    • If you can't find thick strained yogurt, you can make your own by putting normal yogurt into a cheesecloth and waiting for a few hours until you get rid of the excess water in the yogurt.
    • You can skip the walnuts if you want a smoother texture.
    • I don't recommend freezing this dip as it would lose its texture and get watery when defrosted.
    • The leftovers of Haydari dip would keep for up to 5 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
    • Allow the Haydari to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 151kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 239mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 163IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tina

      August 03, 2021 at 2:58 pm

      5 stars
      I was very impressed by the ease you had in putting this recipe together.

      Reply
    2. Dave

      March 23, 2022 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Great dip and so easy to make. Well deserved five stars.

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        March 24, 2022 at 5:40 am

        Thank you Dave!

        Reply
    3. Karina

      April 10, 2022 at 8:33 am

      5 stars
      This was so delicious and so easy. I absolutely love this dish. I already can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow!!

      Reply
    4. Alicia

      April 18, 2022 at 6:28 am

      5 stars
      It is soooo delicious! I made it today to be served tomorrow, and I pray there will some left to serve my guests.

      Reply
    5. Shannon

      May 11, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      5 stars
      What a fabulous dip So easy and such great flavours. It's a winner. Thank you

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        May 16, 2022 at 7:13 am

        Hi, Shannon! It is my pleasure. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
        Best wishes
        Ayla x

        Reply
    6. Petra

      May 27, 2022 at 4:49 am

      5 stars
      I love this dip! It is so simple and easy to make! The taste is so refreshing.

      Reply
    7. Leila

      June 09, 2022 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      This is so good! Thank you for the recipe! My family enjoyed it so much.

      Reply
    8. Brooke

      June 18, 2022 at 4:39 am

      5 stars
      This recipe was so easy to make and so delicious. I did not have any dill, so I left it out. I will be making this again for sure. Thanks!

      Reply
    9. chris panga

      February 13, 2024 at 7:23 am

      5 stars
      it is so amazing especially haydari

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        February 13, 2024 at 11:51 am

        Thank you Chris!

        Reply
    10. Emily

      April 14, 2024 at 11:23 pm

      5 stars
      Luxurious

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 15, 2024 at 4:27 am

        Thank you Emily!

        Reply
    11. Marsh

      February 04, 2025 at 5:25 am

      5 stars
      I made haydari tonight. As you suggested I added feta cheese. And followed the recipe . Good Lord… it is so tasty . I noticed that some haydari recipes doesn’t have feta cheese. It is their loss. It is great. It is heathy and fulfilling. Thx. Marsh x

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        February 04, 2025 at 5:26 am

        I am so pleased to hear that Marsh, Thank you for your lovely comment!
        Best wishes
        Ayla x

        Reply
    5 from 12 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious easy-to-follow recipes and culinary inspiration await you! My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. I am based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here.

    The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy.

    More about me →

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