Ttavas with paprika from Vassa Koilaniou.
Τταβάς με πατάτες (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2013-2014). Πηγή: Κατερίνα Λαζάρου.
Ttavas is one of the most typical Cypriot oven dishes with several local variations. In Vassa Kilaniou village, ttavas is made with lamb, cumin and paprika.
Name - Recipe
A dish with lamb meat, potatoes, cumin and paprika. A recipe from the village of Vassa Koilaniou in Cyprus.
1 kg of lamb cut into cubes
1½ kg potatoes
2 large onions
chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp of ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes. Put the lamb, potatoes and onions along with the chopped tomatoes in an ovenproof stainless steel pot. Add salt, pepper, cumin and paprika. Add the vegetable oil. Cover the pot with the lid and seal the lid tightly all around with aluminium foil to prevent the steam from escaping. Preheat the oven to 290°C and let the ttava bake for 90-120 minutes. (Christina Panagiotou, Cooking Cypriot food 2013-2014)
Baking in the oven.
Avoid opening the pot until the food is almost done, to prevent it from burning (Christina Panagiotou, Cooking in Cyprus 2013-2014). Find variations of Ttavas in the RECIPES section.
Functional and symbolic role
Ttavas dish is found with many variations in Cyprus. The ttavas dish that is served in the village of Lefkara is particularly well known. The particular variation of ttava recorded here comes from the village of Vassa Koilaniou where it was usually prepared for Sunday lunch. Instead of rice, the women of the village use potatoes and paprika. (Christina Panagiotou, Cooking Cypriots 2013-2014)
Additional information and bibliography
Recording: Christina Panagiotou (13 years old, student of the Gymnasium of Ipsona) according to her father's narration. See Museum of Cypriot Food and Nutrition (2014) ed. Petroulla Hadjittofi, Unpublished
Petroulla Hadjittofi
Traditional Recipes
Lamb tenderloin with small taro roots
Lamb fillets served with small taro roots prepared in a traditional way, i.e. fried and combined with lemon juice and coriander seeds. The combination of meat and taro root is regular in the local…
Traditional Recipes
Ofto lamb in lavezi
The lamb is boiled in water until cooked and then, after the water has evaporated, it is seared in its own fat.
Traditional Recipes
Ofto lamb tis teratsias
Recipe from Rizokarpaso. The meat is placed between layers of carob branches, and the traditional oven is closed tightly with mud around its opening to prevent smoke from escaping during roasting.
Traditional Recipes
Potatoes antinahtes with loukanika (sausages)
Baby potatoes fried whole with Cyprus sausage and herbs. This recipe comes from Chandria village in Pitsilia district where the particular dish was prepared on Sunday after church, and served as the…
Traditional Recipes
Potatoes yahni with fennel
Recipe from Marathasa. Fennel, which grows in abundance in the region and gives Marathasa its name, flavours many yahni (in tomato sauce) dishes such as potatoes, beans, broad beans and others.
Traditional Recipes
Roast chicken cooked on sand
The ingredients are placed in a custom-made pot with a hole in the middle and a lid, and the pot is placed on a wood-fired sand base. In the old days, this dish was usually prepared in the village of…
Traditional Recipes
Roast chicken with potatoes
Psito - roast meat or chicken with potatoes is the most popular Cypriot dish cooked in the oven. It is particularly associated with the family Sunday lunch.
Traditional Recipes
Roast rabbit
Rabbit marinated in a wine, vinegar and herb sauce, then roasted in the oven.
Traditional Recipes
Roasted goat
Preferably, roasted in a traditional wood-fired oven which gives a special aroma to the food.
Traditional Recipes
Roasted lamb and potatoes
A meat dish, which was particularly common for Sunday lunch or for Easter Sunday lunch.
Traditional Recipes
Ttavas
Ttavas is one of the most typical Cypriot oven dishes with several local variations.
Foods
Ttavas
Ttavas is one of the most typical Cypriot dishes with several local variations, cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven.
Traditional Recipes
Ttavas korniotikos
Ttavas is one of the most typical Cypriot oven dishes with several local variations. Korniotikos ttavas is baked in a clay pot, which is made in the village of Kornos.
Traditional Recipes
Ttavas Lefkaritikos
Ttavas is one of the most typical Cypriot oven dishes with several local variations. Lefkaritikos ttavas is made with lamb or goat meat and contains rice.
Traditional Recipes
Ttavas with rabbit
A unique variation of ttavas with rabbit in a pot, from Kyperounda village.
Traditional Recipes
Vegetarian ttavas
Delicious and nutritious fasting dish. The vegetables are cut into pieces and baked in the oven in tomato sauce.
Foods
Yer elmasi - Jerusalem artichoke
A type of sweet potato. Yer elmasi was eaten either fresh or fried with wine.