Cucumber contributes both crunch and water to yogurt dip. In this recipe, 300 g grated cucumber joins 360 g whole-milk Greek yogurt, so draining the cucumber is essential to a thick result. The seasonings are deliberately measured in grams, including the small garlic and salt quantities. Good preparation lets the yogurt remain creamy without needing to invent another thickener.
Cucumber yogurt dip makes 6 servings, with 15 min estimated total time. View the standalone recipe page.
Weigh before draining, then squeeze firmly
Begin with the listed 300 g cucumber and coarsely grate it. Wash it before cutting and use a clean grater and towel. Coarse shreds give the dip recognizable cucumber texture; blending it into a puree would release liquid differently and change the finished mouthfeel.
Gather the grated cucumber in the towel and squeeze firmly over the sink or a bowl. Work in manageable portions if necessary. The drained cucumber will weigh less than the original amount because water has been removed. Do not add more cucumber to bring it back to 300 g after squeezing.
Distribute the garlic through the yogurt first
Finely grate the 3 g garlic so it can disperse instead of remaining in sharp little chunks. Stir it into the yogurt with the lemon juice, olive oil, dill, salt and black pepper. Scrape the sides and bottom to keep the seasoning even from the first spoonful to the last.
The garlic is raw in this dip. Its intensity is more noticeable than the same amount softened in a cooked sauce, so use the specified quantity before deciding it looks too small. Measuring matters especially for 1.5 g salt and 0.5 g pepper, where a casual extra shake changes the balance.
Reserve a garnish from the measured ingredients
The ingredient list allows 14 g oil and 8 g chopped dill for the whole dip. If you want a small finishing drizzle and green scatter, set a little of each aside before stirring the rest into the yogurt. They are not additional ingredients beyond the card's amounts.
Chop the dill finely enough to distribute through a spoonful, removing tough stalk pieces as needed. Add the squeezed cucumber only after the yogurt seasoning is mixed. Folding it in at this stage preserves its shreds while avoiding the vigorous stirring you would otherwise need to distribute a concentrated patch of garlic.
Read a watery surface correctly
Cover and refrigerate the dip until serving. Stir again if a small amount of liquid settles, as the recipe directs. Separation alone does not mean the recipe needs more oil: oil enriches and coats, but it does not remove cucumber water.
If the entire bowl is thin straight after mixing, the most useful thing to check next time is the squeeze step. Also verify that the yogurt was the specified Greek style rather than a more fluid yogurt. The recipe does not include an added salting-and-draining stage, so do not double the salt by introducing one casually.
Serve cold and keep the storage simple
Use a clean serving spoon and put out only the amount you expect to eat. Keep the remainder covered in a refrigerator at 40°F or below. A chilled bowl starts cold, but it does not protect dairy indefinitely on a warm table.
Refrigerate perishable leftovers within two hours, or one hour when the surroundings exceed 90°F. For this freshly mixed dip, plan to use it within three to four days as a conservative leftover window, and sooner if the yogurt's label requires it. Expect the cucumber to release some additional liquid during storage and stir before serving.
Common questions
Should I weigh 300 g cucumber after squeezing?
No. The ingredient quantity is the starting cucumber amount. Squeeze the grated cucumber and use what remains; topping it back up with more wet cucumber defeats the draining step.
Why is there liquid on my dip the next day?
Cucumber and yogurt can release liquid as they stand. Stir a small separation back in. For a thinner-than-desired batch, focus on thoroughly squeezing the cucumber next time.
Technique & food-safety references
These primary references support the technique, safety and storage guidance. The recipe and cooking explanations are original Recipe Pinboard content.
