Labneh, carrot, zaatar, beetroot, seeds

A creamy dip inspired by a savoury yogurt bowl. The base is strained yogurt, or labneh, then it’s topped with roasted and pickled beets, a cucumber and dill salad and finished with a chilli oil and spicy seed crackers.

The labneh, spicy seed crackers and chilli oil can be made in advance. So you can enjoy this many times over!

Ingredients:

Labneh:

1 kg full-fat yogurt, I used sheep’s milk yogurt

(you can use cow’s milk yogurt, just make sure it’s not Greek yogurt)

pinch of salt

Spicy seed crackers:

1 large egg, only the whites

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp fine cooking salt

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup hemp seeds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup poppy seeds

Roasted and quick pickled beetroot:

1 beetroot, roughly chopped small

1 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

250g white vinegar

250g water

2 tsp sugar

1 cinnamon stick

6 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

Chilli infused oil:

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 a red cayenne chilli, sliced

1 garlic clove

pinch of salt

1 tsp sumac

Carrot, cucumber and dill:

3 mini cucumber, chopped

1/2 carrot, grated

handful of dill, chopped

1/2 tsp zaatar

1/2 tsp sumac

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Method:

Place a bowl under a colander and line the colander with cheesecloth, with overhang off the sides. Place yogurt in the center of the cheesecloth and mix in salt. Fold in the overhang sides and place a can or a burger press on top. Leave to drain in the fridge for 24 hours, or up to 48 hours. After 24 hours, the yogurt will have turned into labneh, and it will be thick and creamy like cream cheese.

Add sliced red chillies and salt to a small bowl and mix together with your fingers until the chillies glisten. Add in the remaining ingredients and allow to sit and infuse while the rest comes together.

To make the crackers, whisk the egg white, oil, chilli powder, salt and maple syrup in a mixing bowl until combined. Preheat oven to 165C/330F fan-forced. Add the seeds and 1 tbsp of water and mix to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes or so while the oven is preheating. Then spread the seed mixture on a baking paper lined tray and evenly spread into a thin layer. Pack down using the back of the spatula or spoon. Bake for 30 minutes or so, depending on your oven, rotating the baking tray around half way through. Then, let cool and break apart into crackers.

Roast beetroot pieces in the same time as the crackers — maybe for 5 minutes longer or until the edges are crispy.

Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, cinnamon, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small pot until boiling.

Add the beetroot pieces into a mixing bowl and pour over hot vinegar mix. Let sit and quick pickle for at least 15 minutes.

Combine all ingredients for the carrot salad in a mixing bowl and toss to combine.

To plate, add labneh to a pretty plate and spread around so it looks like a cloud. Sprinkle beetroot pieces around the edges of the labneh, in an outer ring. Top with carrot salad around the edges, spoon over the chilli oil, sprinkle zataar and add in pieces of seed cracker randomly into the labneh so they’re sticking up. Garnish with flakey salt and enjoy.