Region

Cypriot Recipes

Cyprus is its own culinary country: halloumi, flaounes, koupepia, souvla cooked slowly over coals, and a spice cabinet that leans on cinnamon and dried coriander.

Map of the Greek world with Cypriot Recipes highlighted
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Greek food is regional to a degree that surprises people who know it only through taverna menus. Mountain villages cook nothing like island ports. Areas under Venetian rule for four hundred years ended up with a completely different pantry from those under Ottoman rule. Refugee populations arriving in the 1920s brought spicing that had never existed on the mainland.

Dishes on this page include Kleftiko, Halloumi, Dolmades, Koupepia, Sheftalia and Afelia. Where a recipe belongs clearly to one place I have said so, and where a dish is claimed by several regions at once I have said that too.

Regional labels in Greek cooking are honest approximations rather than strict boundaries. Recipes travelled with people, and most dishes have a version in every part of the country.

Every recipe on Kalliopi's Kitchen carries the dish's Greek name and a pronunciation, its region where that is meaningful, ingredient quantities in both metric and imperial, and an honest note on what commonly goes wrong. Nutrition figures are calculated estimates and are labelled as such.

Get the free “Taste of Cyprus” guide, ten of these recipes in one downloadable PDF.

Cypriot Recipes

36 recipes on the site so far.

Slow-cooked Greek lamb kleftiko falling off the bone with potatoes and lemonKleftikoKleftiko ΚλέφτικοMain Courses · 4h 25m · serves 6Golden grilled halloumi slices with lemon wedges and dried mintGrilled HalloumiHalloumi ΧαλλούμιMeze and Appetisers · 11m · serves 4Rolled stuffed vine leaves arranged in a dish with lemon wedges and olive oilDolmadesDolmades ΝτολμάδεςMeze and Appetisers · 1h 50m · serves 8Cypriot koupepia stuffed vine leaves arranged on a plate with lemonCypriot Stuffed Vine Leaves with MeatKoupepia ΚουπέπιαMain Courses · 1h 50m · serves 6Grilled Cypriot sheftalia sausages wrapped in caul fat with charred edgesCypriot Sausages in Caul FatSheftalia ΣεφταλιάMain Courses · 45m · serves 6Cypriot afelia pork in a dark red wine and coriander seed sauceCypriot Pork in Red Wine and CorianderAfelia ΑφέλιαMain Courses · 1h 30m · serves 4Cypriot black-eyed bean and chard salad dressed with olive oil and lemonCypriot Black-Eyed Bean Salad with ChardLouvi ΛούβιSide Dishes · 55m · serves 4Cypriot flaounes cheese pastries with a golden sesame-topped crustCypriot Easter Cheese PastriesFlaounes ΦλαούνεςBreads and Pies · 2h 5m · serves 16Cypriot Clay-Pot Lamb and RiceTavas ΤαβάςMain Courses · 2h 55m · serves 6Golden fried Cypriot koupes bulgur shells on a plate with lemonCypriot Bulgur Shells Stuffed with MeatKoupes ΚούπεςMeze and Appetisers · 1h 40m · serves 8Cypriot Smoked Pork with EggsLountza me avga Λούντζα με αυγάBreakfast Recipes · 15m · serves 2Cypriot Pickled Cauliflower and TurnipMoungra ΜούντραDips and Sauces · 30m · serves 10Strings of Cypriot soutzoukos grape must candy hanging to setCypriot Grape Must and Almond CandySoutzoukos ΣουτζιούκοςDesserts · 1h 40m · serves 12Cypriot mahalepi milk pudding topped with rose syrup and crushed pistachiosMahalepiMahalepi ΜαχαλεπίDesserts · 30m · serves 6Cubes of Cyprus delight loukoumia dusted in icing sugar on a plateCyprus Delights, Rose and MasticLoukoumia ΛουκούμιαDesserts · 1h 30m · serves 30Brandy SourBrandy sour Μπράντι ΣάουρDrinks · 5m · serves 1Slices of fresh anari cheese drizzled with honey and walnutsCypriot Fresh Cheese with HoneyAnari me meli Ανάρι με μέλιDesserts · 5m · serves 4A tray of Cypriot baked macaroni with a golden halloumi toppingCypriot Baked MacaroniMakaronia tou fournou Μακαρόνια του φούρνουMain Courses · 1h 35m · serves 8A golden spiral tahinopita bread dusted with sesame seedsCypriot Lenten Tahini Spiral BreadTahinopita ΤαχινόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 10m · serves 8Fried halloumi slices drizzled with honey and sesame seedsPan-Fried Halloumi with Honey BreakfastHalloumi me meli Χαλούμι με μέλιBreakfast Recipes · 13m · serves 2Cypriot Taro with ChickenKolokasi me kotopoulo Κολοκάσι με κοτόπουλοMain Courses · 1h 30m · serves 4Cypriot Dried Pea SoupLouvana ΛουβάναSoups · 1h 10m · serves 4A bowl of Cypriot ravioles halloumi ravioli served in chicken brothCypriot Halloumi and Mint RavioliRavioles ΡαβιόλεςMain Courses · 1h 20m · serves 6Cypriot Wedding Wheat and LambResi ΡέσιMain Courses · 2h 50m · serves 8A pot of Cypriot molehiya, jute mallow leaves stewed with chicken and lemonCypriot Jute Mallow StewMolehiya ΜολόχαMain Courses · 1h 20m · serves 4Cypriot Pumpkin and Bulgur PastiesKolokotes ΚολοκωτέςBreads and Pies · 1h 25m · serves 6A bowl of Cypriot talattouri, yogurt and mint dip with cucumberCypriot Yogurt and Mint DipTalattouri ΤαλαττούριDips and Sauces · 15m · serves 6Cypriot Wine and Coriander PotatoesPatates antinaktes Πατάτες αντινακτέςSide Dishes · 40m · serves 4Cypriot Sweet Cheese PastriesBourekia me anari Μπουρέκια με αναρήDesserts · 1h 5m · serves 6Cypriot Semolina Custard PastriesShamishi ΣιάμισιDesserts · 1h 10m · serves 6A plate of Cypriot moutzentra, lentils and rice topped with caramelised onionsCypriot Lentils and Rice with OnionsMoutzentra ΜουτζέντραMain Courses · 1h 5m · serves 5A bowl of Cypriot trahanas soup with cubes of halloumiCypriot Trahanas SoupTrahanas ΤραχανάςSoups · 55m · serves 4A glass of Cypriot ayrani, cold salted yogurt drink with mintCypriot Salted Yogurt DrinkAyrani ΑϊράνιDrinks · 5m · serves 4Cypriot Courgettes with EggsKolokouthkia me tafka Κολοκούθκια με τ' αυκάBreakfast Recipes · 35m · serves 4Cypriot Bulgur Wheat PilafPourgouri pilafi Πουργούρι πιλάφιSide Dishes · 35m · serves 6Chicken SouvlaSouvla kotopoulo Σούβλα κοτόπουλοMain Courses · 1h 55m · serves 6
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