Crunchy Vegetarian Greek Style Gyros

A gyro is usually a Greek dish of roasted meat served in a pitta, with tomato and tzatziki but this Let’s Get Cooking recipe is for a veggie version.

It can easily be made vegan friendly with a couple of simple swaps. Why not go the whole way and make your own flatbreads and tzatziki? It’s very easy, cheaper and you will know exactly what’s in your meal.

Ingredients

Filling

400g can chickpeas

15ml spoon olive/ vegetable oil

15ml spoon smoked paprika or a mix of cayenne pepper and paprika

¼ x 5ml spoon salt Black pepper

Extras

1 small red onion finely sliced

225g cherry tomatoes halved

125g bag baby spinach or mixed salad/ lettuce

4 pittas and small pot of Tzatziki if not making your own

Flatbread

275g plain flour (and a bit extra for dusting)

1 x 2.5ml spoon salt

50ml olive or vegetable oil

180ml semi skimmed milk

Tzatziki dip

200g plain low-fat Greek yoghurt

1/3 of a cucumber into ½cm cubes

2 cloves of garlic the yoghurt

1 x 5ml spoon lemon juice

Equipment

Weighing scales
Sieve
Mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Measuring jug
Clingfilm
Bowl or Ziplock/sandwich bag
Baking tray
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Mixing spoon
Cutlery or palette knife
Rolling pin (optional)
Fish slice
Clean tea towel

Method

Dip

1. Empty the Greek yoghurt into a small bowl.
2. Chop the cucumber into slices and cut each slice into ½cm cubes.
3. Carefully peel and crush the garlic. Stir this into the yoghurt.

Filling

Make the flatbreads before you prepare the chickpea filling.

1. Weigh the flour and place in a mixing bowl. Add the salt.
2. Measure the milk into a jug and add the oil. Stir with a spoon then add the mixture to the flour. Use a cutlery or palette knife to stir the mixture until it comes together to form a rough dough. Add a little extra flour if it is too sticky.
3. Lightly flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until the texture is nice and smooth. Cover the dough with clingfilm and set aside at room temperature to rest for 20/30 minutes while you make the filling.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C (190°C fan, gas mark 6).
5. Open, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pat dry with kitchen towel.
6. Measure the oil, spices and black pepper into a sandwich bag or bowl. Add the chickpeas and mix until coated.
7. Place the chick peas in a baking tray and put in the oven to cook for about 20 minutes until lightly browned and crispy but not too hard.
8. Now rollout the breads. On a floured surface cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Use your hand or a rolling pin to roll each piece out into a circle approximately 18/20 cm across and 3-4 mm thick.
9. Cook the flatbreads one at a time. Heat a little oil in frying pan on a medium heat and place a flatbread in the pan. Cook for 1 ½ /2 mins. It should bubble up, press it down gently with the fish slice. Turn the flatbread over and cook on the other side pressing down if it puffs up. There should be smallish golden spots on both sides.
10. Wrap the cooked flatbread in a clean tea towel to keep it warm while you repeat the cooking process with the remaining flatbreads.
11. Assemble your gyros. Spread each one with a little tzatziki, add a spoonful or two of roasted chickpeas, a few spinach or lettuce leaves, chopped tomatoes and finely sliced onion.
12. Fold your gyros and tuck in! Enjoy!

Something to try next time

• For a less spicy version you could swap the smoked paprika/cayenne pepper for some dried oregano or mixed herbs. Try adding a few slices of avocado.
• For extra fibre why not try making the flatbreads with wholemeal flour or use half plain and half wholemeal.
• Use the flatbreads as an accompaniment to a curry. Maybe adding a few cumin seeds or chopped fresh coriander to the dough.

Prepare now, eat later

• The flatbreads will keep in the refrigerator for around 3 days. Prepare the dough until step 8 roll out and stack the uncooked rounds with a piece of floured baking parchment between each one. Wrap the stack in cling film and refrigerate until needed. Cook from step 9.
• The Tzatziki can also be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge for up to three days.