Tarator / Sallatë me Kos
(tah-rah-TOR / sah-LAH-tuh meh KOHS)
Zgara: The Backyard Besa
When an Albanian backyard grill is loaded with heavy, smoky meats, the palate demands a sharp, cooling contrast. Enter Tarator, a yogurt and cucumber dish often confused by outsiders with Greek tzatziki, but functionally entirely its own beast. Made with traditional kos—a tart, whole-milk yogurt—it is thinner, incredibly hydrating, and unapologetically acidic. The secret to making it taste exactly like a grandmother's kitchen in Tirana lies entirely in the technique: pulverizing the garlic into a wet paste with coarse salt and forcefully wringing the water from the grated cucumber so you, not the vegetable, control the final texture.
Ingredients
- English cucumbers2 med
- cloves garlic4 med
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- whole-milk plain Greek yogurt2 cup
- ice-cold water1/4 cup
- extra-virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- fresh lemon juice1 tbsp
- fresh dill2 tbsp
- black pepper1 pinch
Method
- 01
Extract the cucumber water.
Take a handful of the grated cucumber and give it a firm squeeze over the sink to release the excess water before placing the dry shreds into a large mixing bowl. If you skip this, the vegetable will slowly bleed into the yogurt, turning a beautiful side dish into a soupy mess.
- 02
Mash the garlic into a wet paste.
Place the peeled garlic cloves on a cutting board, sprinkle the kosher salt directly over them, and use the flat side of a chef's knife to repeatedly scrape and mash them against the board until they form a smooth paste, then add it to the cucumber.
- 03
Thin the yogurt to the proper consistency.
In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the Greek yogurt with the ice-cold water until it reaches a luxurious, velvety consistency that is pourable but still coats the back of a spoon. If your store-bought yogurt lacks a sharp, homeland tang, whisk in the optional lemon juice.
- 04
Emulsify the mixture and let it rest.
Pour the thinned yogurt over the cucumber and garlic, add two tablespoons of the olive oil, the fresh dill, and the black pepper, stirring gently until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least fifteen minutes so the raw garlic allicin can mellow and bloom into the dairy fat.
- 05
Finish with good olive oil right before serving.
Ladle the mixture into individual small bowls and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil before carrying them out to the grill.
Notes
Regional variations dictate the herb.
Southern Albania (Tosk) traditionally relies exclusively on fresh dill, while Northern Albania and Kosovo (Gheg) favor heavier pastoral profiles. If you want to channel the north, swap the dill for one teaspoon of dried mint.
Ingredient sourcing is half the battle.
Standard American plain yogurt is too sweet and thin, while standard Greek yogurt is too thick. A full-fat Mediterranean brand like Karoun is ideal, but manually thinning whole-milk Greek yogurt with ice water works perfectly. Never use low-fat dairy here.
From Cook Albanian in America.