Roasted baby courgettes on strained garlic yogurt

Yogurt is a typical ingredient in many Turkish-Cypriot recipes – as a side to stews or as part of a mezze spread, to thicken soups, tenderise meat and soften cake batters and doughs. Here, Meliz Berg gives it a summer makeover with lemony courgettes.

Ingreadient

• 2 x 200g packs baby courgettes, halved lengthways
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp dried mint
• ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
• 500g tub No.1 Natural Strained Greek Yogurt
• 2 clove/s garlic, finely grated (about ½ tsp)
• 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
• ½ tsp pul biber, plus extra to serve

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. In a large bowl, mix the courgettes with ½ tbsp oil and the dried mint. Arrange them on a baking tray and sprinkle over ½ of the sea salt flakes. Roast for about 20 minutes until the flesh starts to turn golden-brown, turning halfway.
2. Meanwhile, on a large plate, mix together the yogurt, garlic, remaining sea salt flakes and most of the lemon zest. Swirl the yogurt with the back of a large spoon to create circular indents. Once the courgettes are cooked, pour the lemon juice over them in the tray, then arrange them on top of the yogurt. Add the remaining 1½ tbsp olive oil and the pul biber to the tray, mix well and pour these juices over the courgettes and yogurt. Scatter over a little more pul biber and the reserved lemon zest to serve.