UK Cypriot Chef Loulla Astin cooking Spicy whipped Feta Dip

Spicy whipped Feta dip

Htipiti is a classic Greek salty, spicey, tangy and delicious whipped Feta cheese-dip. It’s a speciality of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The literal translation of Htipiti is that which is beaten.
I like to chargrill the chilli peppers to give them a smoky flavour.
Vefa Alexiadou, the famous Greek TV chef, made this dip for me many years ago for my show Simply Greek, but I make mine very different to hers.

Ingredients:
400g Greek Feta cheese
2 red or green fat chilli
200ml natural Greek yogurt
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4-8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + extra
Chilli flakes
Oregano

Method:
Place the chillies on the naked flame of a gas hob or use a hot griddle and cook until blackened. Cool the chillies, peel and de-seed them and finely chop them. Grilling the chillies is necessary to add a smoky flavour to the dip.
Crumble the Feta and place in a food processor with the garlic, (not the chillies), yogurt, vinegar and olive oil, blitz until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. If too thick, add more yogurt and olive oil.
Transfer the spicy Feta dip into a bowl, fold in the chopped chillies and garnish with chili flakes and oregano. Drizzle with virgin olive oil and enjoy, or refrigerate for an hour.
Serve the dip with hot pitta bread, crusty bread, crackers or crudités.