🌶️ Atom (spicy yogurt meze)
Atom is a Turkish meze of thick strained yogurt mixed with garlic and topped with dried red chilies that have been sizzled in butter until crisp. The cool, tangy yogurt and the smoky, fiery peppers sit side by side, so every spoonful is a little different. It is served cold or just warm in small bowls, one of many plates shared at the start of a long meal.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g strained (Greek-style) yogurt
- 1–2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6–8 whole dried red chilies
- 30 g butter
- 1 tsp chili flakes (pul biber), optional
- Salt, a few mint leaves to serve
Method
- Mix the yogurt with the garlic and a pinch of salt and spread it in a shallow bowl.
- Melt the butter in a small pan and fry the dried chilies for 30–60 seconds, turning, until they darken and crisp — do not let them burn.
- Stir the chili flakes into the hot butter, then pour the chilies and butter over the yogurt. Garnish with mint and serve.
How to make it lighter
- Butter is the main extra: 1 tbsp is about 100 kcal, so use half and let the chilies carry the flavour.
- Choose low-fat strained yogurt — it stays thick and creamy.
- Scoop it with cucumber, pepper or carrot sticks for a light meze plate.
History
Atom is a modern favourite of Turkish meze restaurants and kebab houses rather than an old court dish; its name, Turkish for “atom”, is usually explained as a nod to the explosive heat of the peppers.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →