Cypriot Taro with Chicken (Kolokasi me Kotopoulo)

Kolokasi, taro root, is genuinely distinctive to Cypriot cooking within the wider Greek repertoire, a starchy, faintly nutty root vegetable that turns soft and almost creamy once properly braised, and kolokasi me kotopoulo, chicken cooked alongside it in a light, lemony sauce, is one of the island's most everyday, most loved dishes.

The technique leans on the taro itself to thicken the sauce as it cooks, releasing a natural starchiness into the braising liquid the same way potato does in a stew, though kolokasi's texture and flavour are genuinely its own, closer to a cross between potato and yam than either alone.

A generous hand with lemon at the end is what lifts the whole dish, cutting through the richness of the chicken and the starchiness of the root, and this final sharp note is what most Cypriot households consider non-negotiable.

Key preparation steps

1. Peel and prepare the kolokasi carefully, since raw taro can irritate skin.
2. Brown the chicken pieces.
3. Braise chicken, kolokasi and celery together.
4. Finish with a generous amount of lemon.

Handling the kolokasi

Peel the taro under running water or while wearing gloves, since raw kolokasi contains calcium oxalate crystals that can genuinely irritate skin, and cut into thick chunks. This is the one real caution the dish asks for, and it disappears entirely once the taro is cooked.

Braising together

Brown the chicken pieces, then add chopped celery, the prepared kolokasi, and enough water or stock to come partway up the ingredients. Simmer gently, covered, for around forty-five minutes to an hour, until the kolokasi is completely tender and the sauce has thickened naturally from its released starch.

Finishing with lemon

Stir in a generous amount of fresh lemon juice towards the end of cooking, tasting as you go, since Cypriot households genuinely favour a pronounced sharpness here that cuts cleanly through the dish's natural richness and starchiness.

What matters in this dish