Mast-o Khiar Recipe: How to Make Persian Cucumber Yogurt

Mast-o khiar is a Persian cucumber-yogurt dip flavored with dried mint. Common additions include toasted nuts, like walnuts or almonds, and dried fruit, like raisins or dried cranberries. Like other yogurt dips in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, like Indian raita or Greek tzatziki, you can serve mast-o khiar four ways:

• As a side dish or part of a traditional mezze.
• As an appetizer with slices of flatbread, like Iranian barbari or pita.
• As a condiment for grilled meats, like a shish kebab.
• As a sauce atop rice and lentil-based dishes, like adas-polo, or herb stews, like ghormeh sabzi.

Mast-o khiar is a flexible medium: Once you determine your preferences, tweaking its components comes naturally.

1. 1. Choose the best yogurt. You can use any type of yogurt for this dish; Greek yogurt (or other strained-style yogurts) will result in a slightly thicker consistency, while European-style yogurt lends a subtle tanginess and looser texture—similar to the style of Persian yogurt. Learn how to make your own homemade yogurt.
2. 2. Add a bit of allium heat. Add a teaspoon or two of garlic powder into your mast-o khiar for an extra layer of spice.
3. 3. Control the moisture. Using cucumbers with smaller seeds, like Persian cucumbers or English hothouse cucumbers, will distinguish the cucumber flavor throughout the dish. Some recipes for mast-o khiar call for grating cucumber for a different texture. When you grate cucumbers for this recipe, squeeze the excess water from the grated veggie before incorporating it into the mixture.
   
4. 4. Use fresh herbs. While the recipe calls for dried mint, you can use fresh mint leaves to make the dip without affecting the flavor.