The heat of atom comes not from pepper flakes but from dried chillies fried in oil. Warming the chillies briefly in olive oil passes the capsaicin into the oil and the meze is evenly hot in every spoonful. Do not let the oil get too hot; burnt chilli turns bitter.
Ingredients
For the meze
For the chilli butter
For the top
Method
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Prepare the yoghurt
Whisk the strained yoghurt with the garlic and salt and put it in the fridge.
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Make the chilli oil
Warm the olive oil in a small pan, add the chopped dried chillies and hold over a low heat for 3 minutes. Do not let the oil smoke.
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Add the pepper flakes
Take off the heat, stir in the pepper flakes and cool for 5 minutes.
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Combine
Pour the chilli oil into the yoghurt and stir lightly; it should not be completely uniform.
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Rest
Chill for 30 minutes.
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Serve
Scatter with walnuts and dried mint.
Tips
- Do not overheat the oil; burnt chilli turns bitter and the meze becomes inedible.
- Do not pour the chilli oil in hot, as the yoghurt splits.
- The yoghurt must be strained; with ordinary yoghurt atom goes watery.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.