Mast o Khiar is a traditional Persian yogurt and cucumber dip that is light and flavorful. This tasty dip can be served with main dishes or as an appetizer with some chips or pita bread.
Persian cuisine is full of tasty recipes that are so diverse and seasonal. Every item in our dishes and on the table is there for a reason. One key item in Persian cuisine is yogurt and it's used as a light main dish such as Persian cold yogurt soup or a healthy appetizer such as borani esfenaj (Persian spinach and cucumber dip). And, today, we are going to check out mast o khiar, another delectable Persian recipe using yogurt.
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Why this recipe works
This Persian yogurt dip is a staple at Persian tables and is usually served with main dishes such as ghormeh sabzi, gheimeh or adas polo (Persian lentil mixed rice). It's a light side dish that can accompany every meal and can also be used as a sauce for grilled chicken or beef.
But, what does mast o khiar mean? "Mast" means yogurt and "khiar" means cucumber, therefore "mast o khiar" means yogurt and cucumber. Really, it's that simple! The basic Persian yogurt and cucumber dip is made of only these two ingredients plus salt, pepper and sometimes dried mint.
Yogurt and cucumber is a cooling and refreshing combination that is very popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. This recipe is similar to Greek tzatziki and Turkish cacik since they all have the same base.
Today I'm going to show you how I make this Persian yogurt dip with some extra ingredients for more flavor and texture.
What kind of cucumber to use
Small and seedless cucumbers or ones that have very few seeds like Persian cucumbers are ideal for this yogurt and cucumber dip. However, if those are not available, you can use English cucumber and simply scoop out the seeds before chopping them.
What kind of yogurt to use
European yogurt works best for this delicious side dish because it has a semi sour flavor that goes well with herbs and cucumber and has a closer flavor to the yogurt that one finds in Iran. But I've also made this dip with plain Greek yogurt and it turns out perfectly tasty every time. You can use either full fat, low fat or nonfat Greek yogurt to make this recipe. If you're feeling adventurous and want to really make it from scratch, use my instant pot yogurt recipe to make your own yogurt at home.
Instructions
- Prepare the main ingredient - chop the cucumbers into small pieces. Mix them with salt, pepper and dried mint.
- Mix in the yogurt - Add in the yogurt and give it a nice stir. Next, add in chopped walnuts and raisins.
- Final touches - Top with some more dried mint, walnuts, raisins and dried rose petals. Chill in the fridge for thirty minutes before serving. Serve it in a large bowl or individual small bowls.
Serving suggestion
Mast-o-khiar can be served as an appetizer with pita chips, pita bread, naan or lavash bread or as part of a Persian appetizer platter. We love serving this yogurt dip as a side dish with grilled chicken, beef shish kabob or lamb. It's also great with mixed rice dishes such as lubia polo.
Notes and tips
- The basic mast o khiar recipe calls for yogurt, cucumbers, salt, dried mint and sometimes pepper. If you want it to be more flavorful, use this recipe with walnuts and raisins.
- We always use walnuts and raisins in this Persian yogurt dip because these two ingredients have warm natures whereas yogurt and cucumbers have cold nature. Mixing all these ingredients together helps achieve a sense of balance.
- For more flavor, add some garlic powder to the yogurt dip.
- To make this dish, I usually chop the cucumber into small pieces, but some grate the cucumbers and that works too. Be aware that the dip might become watery after chilling in the fridge. If you're grating the cucumbers, squeeze them and discard the excess water before mixing it with yogurt.
- Traditionally, we use dried mint for this recipe but you can also use fresh herbs.
Step-by-Step Recipe
Mast o Khiar - Persian Yogurt and Cucumber Dip
Ingredients
- 4 cups Plain Greek Yogurt See Note #1
- 2 cups Chopped Cucumber See Note #2
- 2 tbsp Dried Mint
- 1 tsp Powdered Dried Rose Petals
- ½ cup Chopped Walnuts
- ½ cup Raisins
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Stir well until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Refrigerate the yogurt dip for 30 minutes.
- Serve with pita chips, pita bread, naan, or lavash bread.
Notes
- You can use full fat, low fat or nonfat plain Greek Yogurt. You can also use European yogurt which has a little more sour flavor.
- Use seedless cucumbers like Persian or mini cucumbers.
- The basic Mast o Khiar recipe calls for yogurt, cucumbers, salt, dried mint and sometimes pepper. If you want it to be more flavorful, use this recipe with walnuts and raisins. The reason that we always use walnuts and raisins in this Persian yogurt dip is because these two ingredients have warm natures whereas yogurt and cucumbers have cold nature. Mixing all these ingredients together helps balancing this dip.
- For more flavor, add some garlic powder to the yogurt dip.
- To make Mast o Khiar, I usually chop the cucumber into small pieces, but some grate the cucumbers and that works too. Be aware that the dip might become watery after chilling in the fridge, so, if you're grating the cucumbers, make sure to squeeze them and discard the excess water before mixing it with yogurt.
- Traditionally, we use dried mint for this recipe but you can also use fresh herbs.
