Time to try the first recipe from this month's Iranian-themed Kitchen Trotter box. Mâst O Khiar is basically the Iranian twist on raita, with some lovely flavours of the east giving it an exotic twist. It can be served as a starter or used as a sauce with raw vegetables or grilled meat.
It required two ingredients from the box - dried rose petals and Anatolian mint, which has a more robust flavour than regular mint.
Mâst O Khiar
ingredients :
2 small Iranian cucumbers or 1 large one
250g Greek yogurt
50g raisins
salt, pepper
1tbsp dried mint
a sprinkle of dried rose petals
optional : 1/2 a shallot, walnuts, fresh basil, ...
Dice the cucumber and put into a large bowl. Add the yogurt, mint and raisins and mix. Season to taste then chill for at least an hour. Just before serving, scatter some rose petals on top.
You could add other ingredients to give it a twist - the recipe suggested 1/2 a shallot, walnuts or fresh basil but after a quick rummage in the cupboard, I came up with half a bag of sunflower seeds so I added those, which gave it some nice crunch.
It's a lovely refreshing dish that would be great with summer barbecues. I was worried that the rose petals would be overpowering but they're actually very delicate. I served mine with leftover roast chicken, some cherry tomatoes (I was tempted to chop them up and add them with the cucumbers, which would definitely work) and the end of the Irish soda bread. Nothing like a culinary culture mash-up !
Love the sound of that dip, and rose petals look so attractive.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of mast o khiar but I do like the sound of it!x #recipeoftheweek
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