Three Cypriot-inspired recipes for September

Nicosia, Cyprus. September brings a late-summer and early-autumn harvest in Cyprus, with local vegetables and fruit featuring prominently in seasonal cooking. The following recipes include kolokasi fritters, a roasted aubergine and red pepper dip, and a banana marble cake.

Kolokasi keftedes

Kolokasi, or taro, features heavily in local dishes during this period. These fritters are described as crisp on the outside, soft and creamy inside, with a slightly nutty taro flavour.

Ingredients: 1 large kolokasi, about 1kg, peeled, wiped and chopped into large pieces; 1 bay leaf; salt; 1 large Cyprus potato, peeled; 1 medium carrot, grated; 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves; a small bunch of parsley, chopped; 2 tbsp chopped mint; a small bunch of coriander, chopped; 3 tbsp celery leaves, chopped; 1 large egg; 75g breadcrumbs, or enough to bind the mixture; ground pepper; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cumin; plain flour for rolling; sunflower oil for frying or deep-frying; and lemon wedges.

Place the taro in lightly salted water with the bay leaf, bring to the boil and cook for about 25 minutes, until fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain and allow to cool slightly before mashing until smooth.

Grate the potato and squeeze it dry. Add the grated potato and carrot to the mashed taro. Pulse the onion, garlic, parsley, coriander and celery leaves in a food processor until finely chopped.

Add the chopped ingredients to the taro mixture with the egg and olive oil. Add the cinnamon and cumin, then mix well, adding sufficient breadcrumbs for the mixture to hold together. Season to taste, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Shape large spoonfuls of the mixture into balls, coat them in flour and flatten them lightly. Heat the oil until very hot and fry the patties in batches until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve warm with lemon wedges.

Roasted aubergine and red pepper dip

This dish has Greek roots in the Cappadocian Greek tradition, from a region that is now in Turkey. The dip is similar to melitzanosalata, with roasted red peppers adding a smoky, sweet-and-sour flavour.

Ingredients: 2 large aubergines; 3 large red Ramiro peppers; 1 medium onion, chopped; 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 green or red chilli, chopped; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp sugar; ½ tsp paprika; 50ml olive oil; juice of 1 lemon; 1 tbsp sherry vinegar; a small bunch of parsley, chopped; toasted pine nuts, optional; and additional olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 180-200C. Prick the aubergines with a fork and place them with the peppers on a baking tray. Roast for about 40 minutes, until the skins are charred and the flesh is soft.

Sauté the onion in 2 tbsp olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Halve the aubergines and scoop out the flesh. Peel and deseed the peppers, if preferred.

Place the aubergine flesh, peppers, sautéed onion and garlic, tomato paste, sugar, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and parsley in a food processor. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the dip into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with toasted pine nuts, if using. Serve warm with toasted bread or pita, or alongside grilled fish and meats.

Banana marble cake

The banana cake is based on a Cypriot Geography cake, also known as a marble cake, with soft bananas and cold coffee added to create a moist result.

Ingredients: 2 eggs; 100ml sunflower oil; 200g golden sugar; 175ml Greek yogurt; 70ml cold coffee; 300g self-rising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp cinnamon; 3 medium ripe bananas, blended; 35g cocoa powder; 100g white chocolate chips, optional; and a greased and floured 22cm springform tin.

Whisk the eggs with the sunflower oil and sugar, then whisk in the yogurt and coffee. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and blended bananas, mixing well.

Transfer half the mixture to a small jug. Add the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp milk or water to make the mixture slightly runny, then stir in the chocolate chips.

Place the plain mixture in the prepared tin and pour the cocoa mixture over it. Use a knife to gently create a marble effect. Tap the tin lightly to remove air bubbles.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for about 40 minutes, or until cooked and golden brown. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for five minutes, then transfer it to a baking rack to cool completely before slicing.

Book and recipe group

Loulla’s book, My Kosmos My Kitchen, can be ordered through www.amazon.com or www.austinmacauley.com/book/my-kosmos-my-kitchen. More traditional Greek and Cypriot recipes are available through Loulla’s Facebook group, Loulla’s Recipe Share.