Tirokafteri App Recipe

Roast the peppers

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Place the whole red bell peppers and the fresh red chile on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Roast 20–25 minutes, turning every 7–8 minutes, until skins are charred and blistered on all sides.

Steam and peel

Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap (or place in a sealed paper bag) for 10 minutes to steam — this loosens the skins. Once cooled enough to handle, peel off skins, remove stems, seeds, and membranes. For the chile, keep some seeds if you want more heat or remove them for milder spice.

Prepare garlic

While peppers cool, smash and peel the garlic cloves. If you prefer milder garlic, roast the garlic with the peppers on the sheet for the last 12–15 minutes instead (whole cloves in foil).

Blend the base

Place peeled roasted peppers, chile, garlic, 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp salt into a blender or food processor. Pulse until a coarse, thick paste forms. Scrape down sides and blend again briefly so mixture is evenly textured but still has some bite. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, or vinegar as needed.

Prepare cheeses

Crumble the feta block into large pieces. Ensure cream cheese is softened to room temperature to blend smoothly.

Combine and whip

In a medium bowl or the work bowl of a food processor, combine crumbled feta, Greek yogurt, softened cream cheese, 2 tbs olive oil, and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Add about half of the roasted pepper mixture and pulse or beat until very smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides and add more pepper mixture to reach desired heat and color — usually all of it for a pronounced spicy, red flavor. Blend until the dip is homogenous and spreadable. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, lemon) as needed.

Adjust texture

If the spread is too thick, thin with 1–2 tsp water or extra olive oil until spreadable. If too loose, add a bit more crumbled feta or chill to firm up.

Plate the tiro kafteri

Spoon the feta-pepper mixture into a shallow serving bowl or small platter, smoothing the top. Swirl the surface with the back of a spoon to create a well in the center.

Finish and garnish

Drizzle 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil over the top, sprinkle chopped parsley and optional toasted pine nuts. For extra heat appearance, reserve a spoonful of the roasted pepper mixture and dot it across the top or drizzle lightly.

Serve

Serve at room temperature with toasted pita wedges or warm pita. Tirokafteri can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 48 hours; bring to room temperature before serving and stir lightly to restore creaminess.