A delicious dish from my dad’s village, Argaki, in the north of Cyprus. We lived in the south of the island, where Kolokasi with Koubepia were not cooked in this way, and so I have fabulous memories of eating this meal when I would visit my Yiayia Argyra.
Kolokasi is loved by all Cypriots; it’s a starchy root vegetable known as Taro Root. It’s actually a native of the Pacific – the common belief is that the Romans introduced it to
Cyprus.

Ingredients:

For the koubepia/dolmathes:
250g minced pork or lamb
1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
75g long grain rice, washed and drained
1 tomato, finely chopped or grated
½ tsp salt
Ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
Vine leaves (preserved in brine)

For the stew:
700g Taro Root
700g boneless pork shoulder, cut into large pieces
150ml light olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, cut into chunks
3 tbsp tomato puree
1-2 small cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
Juice of half a lemon or more

Method:
First prepare the stuffed vine leaves. Cut the stalks from the leaves, rinse in hot water and drain. Mix all the filling ingredients together, then take one or two vine leaves at a time, place shiny side downwards and add a tablespoon of the filling at the stem end, fold both edges inward and roll into a firm fat cigar shape. Repeat until they are all done and then place in the fridge.
Next prepare the taro. Top and tail the taro, peel it, wipe – do not wash, and with a sharp small knife, snap chunks off. This prevents it from becoming slimy and also helps it cook better.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan, season the pork and fry gently until lightly browned, remove and keep to one side on kitchen paper.
Season the taro with salt and pepper and gently fry until golden, remove and keep to one side.
In the same oil, sauté the onions with the celery, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves for 5 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, mix in the tomato puree, cook for a few minutes and add the taro, season lightly with salt, pepper and ground cinnamon and add enough warm water to cover the meat by 3cm. Tuck the koubepia nicely, add the lemon juice, place a cartouche (a large round piece of parchment paper scrunched up) on top, half cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the pork is tender – do not stir the stew when cooking, just shake the saucepan a couple of times.
Serve the Cypriot way, accompanied with raw onion and lots of crunchy bread!