This Cyprus kalamari and tzatziki was probably my most favorite of all the meze dishes. It was so simple to make and what a treat. The calamari was tender and delicious dipping it in the tratziki was the perfect compliment to the calamari and yes a few squeezes of lemon, heaven! This would be a wonderful appetizer for any occasion.
Cyprus Kalamari and Tzatziki (Calamari with yogurt dip)
Servings 4
Ingredients
- for the tzatziki
- 2 finely chopped small garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small cucumber
- 250 grams of Cypriot or Greek style yogurt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
- for the Kalamari
- 1 lb. of fresh or frozen squid
- a large bowl full of All Purpose Flour
- vegetable or olive oil for frying must be at least 1 inch deep in the pan
- salt & pepper to taste
- freshly squeezed lemon juice salt, pepper & oregano as garnish
Instructions
- For the Tzatziki
- Add the garlic to olive oil in a medium sized bowl.
- Finely slice the small cucumber. Then strain the cucumber for at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle a little salt on top on the sliced cucumber as this will encourage excess liquid to be released.
- Add the yogurt, cucumber, mint, lemon juice and salt and pepper to the garlic and olive oil. Mix together well. If the mixture appears runny, add a touch more yogurt.
- For the Kalamari
- Clean your squid.
- Cut the bodies into rings of about 1 inch big or leave them whole, if they are small.
- Next, prepare your bowl of flour. Sprinkle some salt and pepper into the flour and mix together.
- Heat the oil to a very high heat. It has to be very high for the calamari to cook properly.
- Dip a piece of calamari into the flour and make sure it is well coated outside and inside.
- Once the oil is hot, add the flour coated calamari a few pieces at a time.
- They will cook extremely fast about 1 minute per piece of small calamari, the larger pieces may need an extra minute.
- Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Then serve immediately, squeezing fresh lemon juice and sprinkling salt, pepper and dried Greek oregano,if you like to taste on top.
- serve immediately with the tzatziki for a real treat!
