A green relish, inspired by the Yemeni cilantro sauce zhoug, is swirled into luscious, tangy Greek yogurt, so that each swipe with a strip of crunchy toasted pita or crisp bell pepper gathers a different combination of fresh, hot, and cooling flavors.
·If you can't find Greek yogurt, drain 3 cups regular plain whole-milk yogurt in a paper-towel-lined sieve set over a bowl, covered and chilled, 8 to 12 hours.
·Dip can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.
·Toasts can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 min
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Lightly crush cardamom pods with your thumb, then remove seeds, discarding husks. Toast cardamom, caraway seeds, and peppercorns in a dry small heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, then cool. Grind spice mixture to a powder in grinder. Purée cilantro with spice mixture, garlic, chile, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon oil in a blender until smooth (add remaining tablespoon water if necessary). Stir purée into yogurt and season with salt.
Step 2
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
Step 3
Split pitas to make 8 rounds. Stir together butter, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl, then lightly brush on rough sides of pitas. Cut pitas into 1/2-inch-wide strips and arrange in 1 layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool.3Serve dip with toasts and bell peppers.
