Haydari Recipe (Turkish Yoghurt Dip with Feta)

What Is Haydari?

Haydari is a cold Turkish meze made with strained yoghurt, garlic and herbs. Dill and dried mint are most commonly used, while many versions also include Turkish white cheese, butter, olive oil or walnuts.

Unlike thinner yoghurt sauces, haydari should be thick enough to scoop and spread. It’s usually served on a shallow plate or in a bowl, finished with olive oil, herbs or a sprinkling of pul biber.

There isn’t one single fixed recipe. Some versions are made with little more than strained yoghurt, garlic and herbs, while others include beyaz peynir, a Turkish brined white cheese, for extra body and saltiness.

This recipe uses feta, which is the easiest substitute to find in the UK. Feta tends to be quite salty, so taste the haydari before adding any additional salt.

Haydari and the Turkish Meze Table

Haydari is part of the Turkish meze tradition, where a selection of small cold and hot dishes is served for everyone to share.

It sits comfortably alongside olives, stuffed vine leaves, salads, grilled vegetables, aubergine dishes, bread and other yoghurt-based meze. It can also be served with kebabs, grilled lamb, chicken or fish.

Although it’s often described simply as a dip, haydari has a much thicker texture than most yoghurt sauces. It shouldn’t run across the plate or drip from the bread. The yoghurt needs to be properly strained, giving the finished dish enough structure to hold its shape.

What Does Haydari Taste Like?

Haydari is creamy, tangy, savoury and deeply herby.

The strained yoghurt provides acidity and richness, while the feta adds saltiness and body. Fresh dill gives the dip a clean, grassy flavour, and dried mint adds a cooler, slightly earthy fragrance.

The garlic should be noticeable without overpowering everything else. It becomes stronger as the haydari rests, so one large clove is usually plenty.

Warming the dried mint briefly in butter helps release its aroma and softens the dry, dusty flavour it can sometimes have when stirred straight from the jar into cold yoghurt.

Haydari vs Cacık and Tzatziki

They all contain yoghurt, garlic and herbs, but they aren’t the same dish.

Haydari

Haydari is thick, rich and contains no cucumber. It’s made with strained yoghurt and often includes Turkish white cheese or feta.

Cacık

Cacık contains cucumber, and cooks may loosen it with water. Depending on the recipe and serving style, it can range from a thick accompaniment to something closer to a chilled yoghurt soup.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki also contains cucumber, garlic and strained yoghurt. It’s usually thicker than a loose cacık but still has a fresher, wetter texture than haydari.

The absence of cucumber is important. Haydari relies on thick yoghurt, cheese and herbs rather than the crispness and moisture of grated cucumber.

Choosing the Best Yoghurt for Haydari

Turkish haydari is traditionally made with süzme yoğurt, which is yoghurt that has been strained to remove excess whey.

In the UK, full-fat Greek yoghurt is the easiest substitute. Look for one with a firm, spoonable texture rather than a loose pouring consistency.

Some products labelled Greek-style yoghurt contain more liquid and may need draining before use. Place the yoghurt in a fine sieve lined with muslin, a clean tea towel or strong kitchen paper, then leave it over a bowl in the fridge.

Thirty minutes may be enough for a slightly loose yoghurt. A very wet yoghurt may need several hours.

Full-fat yoghurt gives the best flavour and texture. You can use lower-fat yoghurt, but it tends to release more liquid and won’t give the haydari quite the same richness.

Getting the Texture Right

A good haydari should hold its shape when spooned onto a plate. You should be able to make swirls and a shallow well in the centre without the edges slowly collapsing.

Drain loose yoghurt

If the yoghurt looks watery in the tub, it’ll still be watery in the haydari. Drain it before adding the other ingredients rather than trying to correct the texture afterwards.

Mash the feta thoroughly

Mash the feta with a fork before adding the yoghurt. This helps distribute the cheese evenly and prevents large, unexpectedly salty pieces.

The mixture doesn’t need to be completely smooth. A little texture is fine; a whole slab of feta hiding under the dill is less helpful.

Cool the mint butter

Let the mint butter cool for two or three minutes before stirring it into the yoghurt.

It should still be warm and fluid, but it shouldn’t be bubbling or piping hot. Hot butter can cause the yoghurt to separate, while completely cold butter may form small solid lumps.

Chill before serving

Chilling the haydari for at least 30 minutes gives the herbs and garlic time to flavour the yoghurt.

The dip may also thicken slightly as it rests. Take it out of the fridge around 10 minutes before serving so the flavours aren’t muted by the cold.

Haydari Ingredients

Strained yoghurt

Use full-fat Greek yoghurt or Turkish strained yoghurt. It should be thick enough to sit firmly on a spoon.

Turkish white cheese or feta

Beyaz peynir means white cheese and refers to the brined white cheeses commonly eaten in Türkiye.

Feta makes a convenient substitute, although its flavour can be sharper and saltier. Taste the completed haydari before deciding whether it needs more salt.

Garlic

Use one large clove, finely grated or crushed into a smooth paste.

Raw garlic becomes more assertive over time. When preparing the dip a full day ahead, you may prefer to use slightly less.

Fresh dill

Fresh dill brings a clean herbal flavour and works particularly well with yoghurt and white cheese.

Chop it finely so it blends throughout the dip rather than forming long strands.

Dried mint

Cooks traditionally use dried mint in many Turkish yoghurt dishes because it has a deeper and sharper flavour than fresh mint.

Warm it very briefly in butter, taking care not to let it brown. Burnt dried mint has a medicinal bitterness that no amount of feta can disguise.

Butter

A small amount of butter carries the mint flavour through the yoghurt and makes the dip slightly richer.

Use unsalted butter because the feta may already provide all the salt the dish needs.

Olive oil

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the haydari shortly before serving.

It adds flavour, highlights the swirls and makes a bowl of pale yoghurt considerably more interesting to look at.

How to Make Haydari

Haydari is quick to prepare, but the order of the steps helps create a smoother and more evenly flavoured dip.

Prep Work

Finely chop the dill, grate the garlic, crumble the feta and drain the yoghurt if it looks loose.

Mash the Feta

Mash the feta in a mixing bowl until finely crumbled.

Add the Yoghurt, Garlic and Dill

Stir in the yoghurt, garlic and dill until evenly combined.

Make the Mint Butter

Melt the butter over low heat, add the dried mint and leave it to cool for two or three minutes.

Mix and Chill

Stir in the mint butter, taste before adding salt, then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Plate the Haydari

Spoon the haydari onto a shallow plate or serving bowl.

Use the back of a spoon to create swirls across the surface, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Finish with extra dill, dried mint or a little pul biber.

How to Serve Haydari

Serve haydari cold or cool as part of a Turkish meze spread.

It’s particularly good with:

• Warm pide, pita or flatbread
• Acılı ezme
• Çoban salatası
• İmam bayıldı
• Stuffed vine leaves
• Olives and pickled vegetables
• Grilled lamb or chicken
• Köfte
• Grilled fish
• Roasted peppers
• Courgettes or aubergines

It also works well as an accompaniment to barbecued food. The cool yoghurt, herbs and salty cheese are a good contrast to smoky meat and vegetables.

Use torn bread to scoop it up, or spoon a little beside grilled food. Both methods are perfectly acceptable, although the bread tends to disappear more quickly.

Can You Make Haydari Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can prepare haydari several hours ahead or the day before serving.

A short resting time improves the flavour, allowing the garlic, dill and mint to spread throughout the yoghurt.

Bear in mind that the garlic will become stronger overnight. When making the dip a full day ahead, use half to three-quarters of a large clove if you prefer a gentler flavour.

Add the final olive oil and garnishes shortly before serving.

How to Store Haydari

Keep leftover haydari in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days.

A small amount of whey may rise to the surface during storage. Stir it back into the dip, or pour it away if the haydari has become looser than you’d like.

Haydari isn’t suitable for freezing. Yoghurt can separate once thawed, leaving the dip watery and slightly grainy.

Haydari Variations

Haydari Without Feta

You can make haydari without feta by using extra-thick strained yoghurt.

The flavour will be lighter and less salty, so you may need to add a little salt. Make sure the yoghurt is especially thick, as the cheese normally helps give the dip more body.

Haydari with Walnuts

Add 30-40g finely chopped toasted walnuts.

Walnuts provide a gentle bitterness and a little texture. Chop them finely rather than leaving large pieces in the dip.

Haydari Without Butter

Replace the butter with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Rub the dried mint between your fingers before stirring it into the yoghurt. This helps release some of its fragrance.

Spicy Haydari

Haydari is generally herby and garlicky rather than spicy.

For a little heat, sprinkle pul biber or Aleppo pepper over the top before serving. Adding it as a garnish allows the mint and dill to remain the main flavours.

Vegan Haydari

Use a thick, unsweetened plant-based yoghurt and a vegan feta-style cheese.

Choose a yoghurt with a neutral flavour and drain it if necessary. Coconut yoghurt tends to be too sweet and distinctive for this recipe.

This is an adaptation rather than a traditional version, but the same principles apply: keep the base thick, season carefully and don’t add cucumber.

Haydari FAQs

Final Word

And there you have it. Haydari is a thick, creamy Turkish yoghurt dip with salty feta, garlic, dill and dried mint.

The key is to begin with properly strained yoghurt, let the mint butter cool a little before mixing and taste before adding any salt. Serve it with warm bread, grilled food or a full meze spread, and make sure there’s enough bread to go around.

Make it and let me know what you think. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at @azlinbloor.

Afiyet olsun.

Lin xx

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