Yogurt with Cucumber, Walnuts and Raisins (Mast o Khiar)
A cold Persian dip that combines refreshing yogurt with crisp cucumber, set apart from the ordinary cucumber-yogurt salad by the addition of walnuts, raisins, and dried rose petals, so it becomes a dish rich in texture and flavor served on the Iranian table alongside rice and grilled meats.
Chop the cucumber finely, sprinkle it with a little salt, and leave it for a quarter of an hour, because this draws out its excess water so the dip doesn't turn watery.
Pour off the collected water or blot it with a clean paper towel, so the cucumber stays firm.
Soak the raisins in cold water for a quarter of an hour, then drain them, so they plump up and soften.
In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the cucumber, walnuts, raisins, dried mint, ground rose, salt, and pepper until the mixture is uniform.
Cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for half an hour before serving, so the flavors blend and the dip cools.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Yogurt with Cucumber, Walnuts and Raisins (Mast o Khiar), and how to fix them:
We did not drain the cucumber water well, so salt the cucumber, leave it for a quarter of an hour, then squeeze or blot it before adding it.
Add a little more dried mint and salt, as dried mint is stronger in flavor than fresh in this dish.
Soak them in cold water for a quarter of an hour before mixing so they plump up and soften.
Keep it in an airtight container for up to three days, and stir it before serving as some water may separate.
Add the walnuts at the moment of serving if you want them crunchy, as they soften with longer storage.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| walnuts | chopped almonds | same weight | Almonds give a lighter crunch. |
| raisins | chopped pitted dates | slightly less amount | Dates add a deeper sweetness, so reduce the amount. |
| Greek yogurt | strained regular yogurt | same weight | Strain it for an hour through a cloth sieve to thicken it. |
| dried mint | chopped fresh mint | about double | Fresh is milder in flavor, so double the amount. |
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings (base) | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek yogurt | 450 g | 900 g | 1800 g |
| Chopped cucumber | 140 g | 280 g | 560 g |
| chopped walnuts | 30 g | 60 g | 120 g |
| raisins | 35 g | 70 g | 140 g |
Choose Persian cucumber or a small, low-seed cucumber so the mixture stays firm, and salt the cucumber and drain it before mixing to keep the dip from turning watery.
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