Beet and yogurt dip or Pancar Ezmesi

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It seems hard to believe that with just 4 ingredients: roasted beets, Greek yogurt, olive oil and garlic that such a spectacular dip could be created. Although it looks like a big raspberry sundae, of course, it is not. Have it with some good crusty bread and if you like, garnish it with a few mint leaves. Heavenly.

The results vary according to how much of each ingredient you use. Above, we have used mainly yogurt and colored it with the beet juice. In other versions, there is much less yogurt and the resulting color is a deep and satisfying maroon. Make it to your own taste, but here is one version of this popular meze.

5 raw beets, whole and unpeeled (virtually any amount you have will do)

1 T olive oil for food processor + 1-2 T for topping

3-4 T plain Greek or Turkish yogurt (make your own!)

1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

salt to taste

mint leaves for garnish

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. (You can also do these on a charcoal grill with the cover on.)
  2. Rub beets with a little oil and wrap them whole in tin foil.
  3. Roast until they have become soft. Inserting a knife will tell you when, but it’s usually about 40 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven, unwrap and allow to cool.
  5. The skins should slide right off. Cut into smaller pieces and place in food processor with the garlic. Process and then add the oil and garlic. Adjust for salt.
  6. To serve, drizzle with more oil and add a few mint leaves for garnish.