Recipes from Cyprus to Cook at Home

Hummus from Cyprus

Cypriot Houmous

A classic meze dish loved by all, it can be eaten on its own with a piece of bread or it can be an ideal accompaniment to a meal. Discover the essence of food in Cyprus.

Serves: 6
Cooks in: 15 Minutes
Level: Super Easy

Ingredients: 

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 4 cloves of garlic 
• 2 tbsp of tahini
• 2 lemons
• 4 tbsp of olive oil 
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1 tsp of cumin

Method:

1. Take out the food processor and tip the drained chickpeas into the processor.

2. Add the peeled garlic, tahini, whole squeezed lemon and olive oil.

3. Season with black pepper, salt & cumin, and mix.

4. Use a spoon to taste a small amount of the houmous mixture and add more lemon juice or water to loosen the texture if needed.

5. Serve with food or as a starter with pitta bread or crunchy vegetables.

Tips:

Change the taste of your houmous by adding some chopped roasted red peppers when mixing.

Kisir from Cyprus

Cypriot Kisir

A bowl of salad that will make your taste buds dance regardless of the time of the day. Delight in the flavours of traditional Cypriot food.

Serves: 6
Cooks in: 25 Minutes
Level: Medium

Ingredients:

• 300g of medium bulgur wheat 
• 2 tbsp of tomato paste 
• 1 tbsp of spicy tomato paste (optional)
• 2 large tomatoes diced finely 
• 2 cucumbers diced finely 
• 1 green pepper 
• 1 lemon 
• Handful chopped parsley 
• 2 spring onions finely sliced 
• 3 tbsp of olive oil 
• 2 tsp salt 
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tsp of mild chili (optional)

Method

1. Boil around 700ml of water in a kettle or saucepan.

2. Add the tomato paste into a bowl, add the hot water and mix.

3. In a large bowl add the bulgur wheat and pour in the hot water and tomato paste mix. Combine the ingredients together and then let it sit for 20 minutes.

4. Chop the parsley, spring onions, tomatoes, cucumber and green pepper and mix into the bulgur wheat.

5. Add the olive oil, salt, black pepper and chilli and mix until nicely combined.

6. Lastly squeeze over some lemon juice, serve and enjoy!

Tips:

Change the taste by adding pomegranate to the dish. You can eat the salad as a side dish with either fish or steak.

Cypriot Macaroni (Firin Makarinasi)

We all love an oven-baked macaroni! This dish is perfect for creating a homely dinner atmosphere for our loved ones, and it's a great example of food recipes from Cyprus. 

Serves: 10
Cooks in: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Level: Difficult

Ingredients: 

• Macaroni pasta 
• 200g hellim (halloumi), grated 
• 200g cheddar, grated 
• 500g lamb mince 
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 
• Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 
• 3 tsp with salt
• 4 glasses of milk 
• 4 tbsp of plain flour 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Cook the macaroni in salted boiling water, once boiled rinse with cold water and add 1tsp of olive oil.

3. Place 2 tbsp of olive oil in large pan, add the mince and fry until brown.

4. Add the chopped onions in the mince and fry. Once the onions are browned slightly, add chopped parsley and season with salt and black pepper.

5. Cook the béchamel sauce by adding the milk and plain flour and whisk. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add the cheese & halloumi and mix together. 

6. Transfer half of the cooked macaroni into a deep baking tray or casserole dish, then add all of the cooked mince on top, then transfer the rest of the macaroni on top of the mince.

7. Finally, pour the prepared béchamel sauce over the last level of macaroni.

8. Cook the dish for 40 minutes until brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Tips:

You can enjoy the dish with seasoned salad or yogurt.

Kofte from Cyprus

Cypriot Kofte

A classic Cypriot dish that is cooked in homely atmosphere, that will bring a smile to your taste buds. Explore the world of Cyprus food.

Serves: 5
Cooks in: 1 Hour 
Level: Difficult

Ingredients: 

• 3 potatoes grated 
• 250g lamb mince 
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 
• Flat leaf parsley, chopped 
• Season with salt 
• Oil for frying 

Method:

1. Grate the potatoes and squeeze out any excess water. Put in a bowl then add the mince.

2. Grate the onions and squeeze out any excess water. Add to the bowl and mix in with the mince and potatoes.

3. Finely chop the parsley and add to the mixture. Season with salt and black pepper.

4. Put the mixture into the fridge for one hour to allow it to rest.

5. Prepare the mixture into meatball shapes and fry them in a frying pan with oil until golden brown.

Tips: You can serve kofte with your favourite sauce, pitta bread or a seasoned salad and yogurt.

Cypriot Carrot Cake

This carrot cake can be enjoyed with a cup of tea or as a quick snack for all the family. Let's sweeten our time at home and bake this delightful traditional Cypriot food.

Serves: 8
Cooks in: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Level: Medium

Ingredients: 

• 3 eggs 
• 2 glasses of flour 
• 1 glass of milk 
• 1 glass of sugar 
• Half a glass of oil 
• 2 grated carrots 
• 3 tbsp raisins 
• 1 tsp of cinnamon 
• 1 tsp of baking powder 
• 1 tsp of vanilla 

Note: Glass size = tumbler

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Add the 3 eggs and sugar in a bowl and mix. Slowly add the oil and milk and continue mixing.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla to the mixture. Continue to mix until you get a thick but runny texture.

4. Add the grated carrot & raisins to the mix.

5. Once your mix is ready, add to a suitable cake tin and bake for 45 minutes.

Tips: You can enjoy your cake with double cream, ice cream or even hot custard.