Tzatziki, Raita, and other Yogurt Sauces

Making simple tzatziki or raita is my favorite way to take recipes to the next level.  Sometimes I will be coming up with a recipe idea but it just isnt there yet, and once I realize that it needs a cooling yogurt sauce the whole things comes together easily!  When I make these in posts, I usually don’t write a recipe down, just instead say what I put in there, so I wanted a place to lay out some ratios that you can build off to make your own amazing yogurt sauces!

I think there are a few main keys to making a good yogurt sauce.  First, make sure you put plenty of salt in there. 2, give it time to meld together.  If you are using cucumbers, there is lots of liquid to mingle with the yogurt and form that magic tzatziki flavor in a shorter period if time.  If you are using something drier like carrot, you should let it sit a little longer so the salt can draw out the moisture from the veggies and into the yogurt. 3, always use strained yogurt.  You can buy greek or strain it yourself, but if your yogurt is too thin to start with, adding veggies, salt, and acid will only make it more watery.