Why it works: Dill and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 976 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Moroccan Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
Directions
Strain the yoghurt
Place yoghurt into a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Do not squeeze, but discard the liquid from the yoghurt.
Prepare the cucumber
Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then scoop out and discard the seeds and coarsely grate the flesh.
Combine and serve
Place the grated cucumber into a medium bowl with the yoghurt, and stir through the remaining ingredients.
Serve with flat bread, as a dipping sauce for vegetables, or as a side dish.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | 1/2 cup sliced (52g) | 16 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Dill + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together976 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Cucumber + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together530 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Cucumber + garlictop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,556 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Natural yoghurt
- Forms the creamy, tangy body of the dip once its excess liquid is drained off.
- Lebanese cucumbers
- Add cool, moist crunch; the seeds are removed because they release extra water.
- Garlic
- Adds sharp, pungent aroma that mellows and spreads through the cool yoghurt.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour and balances the richness of the yoghurt.
- Ground aniseed
- Contributes a sweet, liquorice-like aroma that defines the dip's flavour.
The step that matters
Do not squeeze the yoghurt. Straining by gravity keeps the yoghurt thick and creamy. Squeezing forces out more whey and can make the dip thin and grainy.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon, pepper):
- Parsleyfits better
- Corianderfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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