Yogurt Cucumber Sauce with Rose Petals (Maast-o Khiar)

MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

Dried rose petals do double duty in this recipe from Iranian food writer Naz Deravian: they're ground and stirred into the cucumber-yogurt mixture, as well as left whole for the garnish. The tangy, fragrant sauce is the perfect accompaniment for crispy rice tahdig.

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What You Will Need

Medium Bowl

Ingredients

Dried rose petals
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 ¹⁄₄ cups grated cucumber
1 tbsp. dried mint, plus more for sprinkling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Step 1

Lightly grind some rose petals between your fingers, and measure out ¼ teaspoon. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, cucumber, mint, and the ground rose petals. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of more rose petals and mint. Or the sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days; garnish just before serving. (If the sauce becomes runny, stir in a little more yogurt to thicken it.)