Tiganites me Halloumi

Name: Tiganites me Halloumi
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cypriot
Ingredients: Plain flour; Chickpea; Whole eggs; Whole milk; Baking powder; Halloumi; Fat-free Greek yoghurt; Black pepper; Olive oil; Salt

Tiganites me Halloumi, plated as one serving.

342 kcal a serving, against 450 for the traditional version. That is 108 kcal off, or 24%, with 21.7g of protein. Serves 4. 35 minutes.

What the traditional version is

The original is a basic batter: plain flour, eggs, milk, a bit of baking powder, plenty of grated halloumi, and a good grind of black pepper. Fry ladlefuls in olive oil until you get a stack that's golden, soft in the middle and salty with cheese. You eat them hot on their own, or if you're lucky, with spoon sweets and Greek coffee.

What changed, and what each change costs

Swap half the plain flour (80g) for chickpea flour (80g)

Chickpea (gram) flour adds a subtle earthiness and gives a little protein bump without scaring anyone off. It's a gentle nudge rather than a revolution.

What it costs you. You'll miss some of that classic plain flour fluffiness. The pancakes are a notch firmer and carry a hint of the chickpea. If you hate change, just eat two instead of three.

Cut the halloumi from 180g to 110g, and dice it instead of grating

That cheese is the main event, but it's also what brings most of the calories and salt. Dicing instead of grating means you get proper chunks - more bite, less cheese per pancake, but still plenty of flavour. Let's not pretend you can't taste the difference.

What it costs you. It's not as lush. Grated halloumi melts and spreads, but diced turns up in pockets. Some bites are cheesier; others are just pancake. If you want a uniform cheese hit, you'll sulk. But it's better than nothing.

Olive oil down from 40g (for frying) to 8g (to brush the tray)

No one needs that much oil for these. You'll get a golden crust on a hot tray with just a smear, and you're not standing over the hob for half an hour dodging spatters. You'll lose most of the fried edge, but you'll save a lump of fat and a mess.

What it costs you. Don't expect that giddy fried texture. You'll get a slight golden colour, but not the same crunch. Still, the pancakes cook evenly and you can batch them without much fuss, so it's a fair trade-off.

Add 140g fat-free Greek yoghurt to the batter

It's more protein, and a bit of tang keeps the batter from feeling flat after you cut the cheese and oil. Also helps keep things moist when you're not drowning in halloumi and olive oil.

What it costs you. The pancakes are ever so slightly denser, and the yoghurt tang peeks through. Not a million miles off, but you'll spot it if you're a purist.

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.

Plain flour
Chickpea
Whole eggs
Whole milk
Baking powder
Halloumi
Fat-free Greek yoghurt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Salt

How it starts

Heat your oven to 220C.
Tip both flours, baking powder, salt and black pepper into a big bowl.
Crack in the eggs, pour in the milk and yoghurt, and whisk to a smooth batter.

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

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	450	342
Protein	20.3g	21.7g
Fat	25.5g	14.2g
Saturated fat	10.8g	6.7g
Carbohydrate	34.6g	31.3g
Protein per 100 kcal	4.5g	6.3g

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. gluten, eggs, milk.

The method is in the book

Is it the real thing? No, it's not. You'll miss the fried edges and the rivers of salty melted halloumi. But these are still good: easy, low-mess, and you can eat four without wondering what you've done. The chickpea flour adds a bit of body, the yoghurt sneaks in some tang, and you don't end up wiping oil off the stove. Save the proper version for when you've got a crowd and a bottle of ouzo. These will do for Monday nights, and you'll still get your halloumi fix.

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