Smashed Cucumber, Mint Yoghurt with Chilli & Garlic Oil
When the weather is hot and you're craving something cool, vibrant, and full of flavour, this Smashed Cucumber with Coconut Yoghurt Dip & Chilli & Garlic Oil hits the spot.
It's irresistibly fresh, with cooling cucumber and creamy yoghurt balanced by a punchy garlic-chilli oil and toasty seeds. Serve it as a colourful side dish or a light starter with warm flatbreads—it goes with everything.
Nutritionally, it’s a powerhouse too: cucumber helps hydrate and support digestion, while mint brings soothing anti-inflammatory properties. Coconut yoghurt offers gut-friendly probiotics (or swap in Greek yoghurt for a protein boost), and the combination of cumin, sesame, and nigella seeds adds not only crunch and depth of flavour but also a dose of antioxidants and healthy fats.
Perfect for summer eating—simple, satisfying, and seriously good for you.
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber, ½ lengthways and sliced into ½ cm diagonals
½ tsp sea salt
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
125ml EV olive oil
1tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
250g tub of coconut yoghurt (or Greek yoghurt if you are not dairy free or vegan)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 lemon – zest and juice
Sea Salt & Freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch of mint, chopped
METHOD
Slice the cumber in half and cut into ½cm slices cut on the diagonal
Place in a bowl and mix with ½ tsp of salt, set aside to macerate
Slice the garlic and the chilli
Heat the oil in a pan and when hot add the garlic and chilli, simmer for 3minutes
Now add cumin, nigella and sesame seeds and cook until golden and crispy
Pour into a kilner jar until needed
In a separate bowl add the yoghurt and stir in the ground cumin, lemon zest and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh mint
Decant to a serving platter
Top with cucumber and dress with the chilli & garlic oil
Serve with flat breads
