Lountza

Name: Lountza
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cypriot
Ingredients: Lountza; Fat-free Greek yoghurt; Cucumber; Ripe tomatoes; Lemon juice; Fresh thyme; Black pepper

108 kcal a serving, against 330 for the traditional version. That is 222 kcal off, or 67%, with 15.1g of protein. Serves 6. 15 minutes.

What the traditional version is

Thin slices of lountza, pork loin cured with wine and smoked, griddled until hot and served with thick-cut fried halloumi, bread or pitta, and lemon wedges. Eaten hot or at room temperature, always with something pillowy and plenty of dairy fat.

What changed, and what each change costs

Halloumi out, fat-free Greek yoghurt in

Halloumi makes the plate, but it's half fat and not much protein for the trouble. Fat-free Greek yoghurt slashes the calories and actually gets you more protein per bite. I miss the cheese, but not enough to keep it in.

What it costs you. Let's be fair, it isn't as joyful dunking lountza in cold yoghurt as biting into a crisp-fried slice of cheese. The squeak goes, and so does the salt and chew. But a big hit of lemon and thyme in the yoghurt makes up a bit of the punch. Serve it cold and sharp.

White bread out, cucumber and tomato in

Cypriots treat bread as a vehicle for salt and fat. You can get that crunch and freshness with raw veg, and it means you can eat as much as you like without burning through the week's running quota. I keep the lemon, obviously.

What it costs you. You lose the comfort of hot bread, but the plate looks brighter, and you don't need a nap afterwards. If you're after a sandwich, well, you'll miss bread. I can't fight every battle.

A bit more lountza per head

Cutting the cheese and bread means calories to spare for more pork, which at least keeps things Cypriot and provides enough protein to stop the side dish from being a punishment.

What it costs you. Costs money rather than regret, and makes the lountza shine instead of hiding under a mountain of dairy.

What goes in it

The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.

Lountza
Fat-free Greek yoghurt
Cucumber
Ripe tomatoes
Lemon juice
Fresh thyme
Black pepper

How it starts

Slice the lountza thinly, about 4mm if you've got a steady hand, or ask the deli to do it.
Heat a ridged grill pan until it's close to smoking, no oil needed.
Mix the fat-free Greek yoghurt with the lemon juice and half the thyme.

The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Cypriot.

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	330	108
Protein	24.4g	15.1g
Fat	14.5g	1.7g
Saturated fat	9.1g	0.6g
Carbohydrate	25.6g	8.8g
Protein per 100 kcal	7.4g	14g

Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Cypriot prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.

Allergens. milk.

The method is in the book

Warm smoky pork with creamy lemony yoghurt and crisp veg feels almost like cheating, and it's a plate you can keep going back to. If halloumi is the first thing you go for at the meze table, you'll mourn its loss - no point lying - but I'd rather eat extra lountza than fill up on bread and cheese that just slow you down.

The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Cypriot, along with 47 more. Buy the paperback