Walnut Tarator: A Yogurt Dip with Texture

Ingredients for a small sharing plate

• 100 g shelled walnut kernels
• 200 g strained yogurt
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1–2 teaspoons lemon juice and salt to taste
• 1–2 tablespoons water, only if needed

These are starting quantities for roughly four small side portions. Yogurt thickness varies, so do not add water at the beginning. The walnut quantity refers to kernels, not in-shell nuts.

Keep some walnut texture

Chop the walnuts on a board, or use short processor pulses. Aim for small pieces that remain noticeable in the yogurt, rather than a smooth walnut paste.

Reserve a spoonful for the topping. Check that no shell fragments remain; intact halves are not necessary for this recipe.

Mix the yogurt base

Crush the garlic and mix it with the yogurt, olive oil, a little lemon juice and salt. Fold in the walnuts. If too thick, add water a teaspoon at a time.

Taste and adjust the lemon and garlic. Aim for a spoonable dip rather than a liquid sauce.

Serve and adapt

Spread on a shallow plate and scatter the reserved walnuts over it. Serve with bread or raw vegetable sticks. A few larger pieces added at the end give more texture.

This is a yogurt-based home interpretation of tarator; bread-based and other regional versions also exist. It contains walnuts and dairy. Ceviz Vadisi sells in-shell walnuts, not prepared tarator.

If the consistency needs adjusting

If the mixture is too thick, avoid adding a large amount of water at once. Try thinning a spoonful separately, then apply the same approach to the rest. With a runny yogurt, leave out the water or choose a thicker strained yogurt. More walnuts will change both the flavour and the amount of dip, not just its thickness.

Try extra garlic in a small portion first. Add lemon gradually too, so the whole bowl does not become sharper than you intended. The topping does not need to cover the white surface completely: the reserved pieces can provide enough contrast and texture. Note your preferred quantities for next time.