Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip)

Haydari is a delicious Turkish Yoghurt Dip made with feta cheese, thick strained yoghurt, 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.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Yoghurt Dip (Haydari)?
• Related Recipes
• Top Tip From the Chef
• Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip)

Why This Recipe Works?

• All you need to prepare this tasty meze dish is to gather a few ingredients and mix.

• You can serve it 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 it a couple of days ahead and keep it refrigerated until you need it.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Strained yoghurt - It is also called sack yoghurt, labneh or kerned yoghurt. You can buy them from most of the large supermarkets.

• Feta cheese - I prefer feta cheese made with sheep milk with high-fat content with a creamy texture.

• Walnuts - It adds extra texture and nuttiness to the dip but you can omit them if you prefer. Lightly toss your walnuts before using them for a more intense flavour.

• Dill - It pairs perfectly with cheese and yoghurt. You can use fresh mint alternatively.

• Garlic - Use a fresh garlic clove for this recipe. Fresh garlic is a great flavouring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. I use two large or three small fresh garlic cloves for this recipe.

• Butter - It adds extra richness and body to the dip. Gently melt it with dried mint and some chilli flakes before adding it to yoghurt. You can substitute it with EVOO.

How to Make Yoghurt Dip (Haydari)?

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.

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

• Gently heat the olive oil on low heat in a small saucepan and add the dry mint along with the chilli flakes. Allow 5 minutes to infuse the oil with mint and chilli.

• Transfer the yoghurt and feta mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with mint and chilli-infused olive oil.

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

Related Recipes

Love Turkish food? Check out my other delicious traditional Turkish dishes!

• Turkish Baklava with Pistachio

• Kuru Fasulye

• Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)

• Lamb Shish Kebab

• Easy Authentic Hummus Recipe

• Hunkar Begendi (Sultan's Delight)

Top Tip From the Chef

If you can't find thick yoghurt, you can make your own by putting normal yoghurt into a cheesecloth and waiting for a few hours until you get rid of the excess water in the yoghurt.

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

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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