Gyro (sometime yee-roh) literally means ’turn’ in Greek. Basically it is a dish made of meat cooked in a vertical rotisserie and then served wrapped in a pita with toppings. All this talk about Gyro is because I’m cooking from a Greek take-out restaurant. Metropulos, in Santa Barbara for this week’s BM. Gyro is one of their specialties. But they make it the traditional way with meat, but I used jackfruit instead.
Greek Gyros:
Some may think making vegetarian gyros is blasphemous because it is an out and out meat centered dish. It is derived from lamb based doner kebab from Turkey. In Greece, it is traditionally made with pork or chicken.
Vegetarian Gyro Ideas:
Here are a few vegetarian ideas to use instead of meat in gyros:
Roasted vegetables - eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushroom and onions are great options.Seitan - store bought or homemadeFaux Meat substitutes - Any brand beefless strips or chickenless strips will work.Jackfruit - has a meaty texture and even looks a little like meat after cooking.
Jackfruit filling for Vegetarian Gyros:
I always have a can of green jackfruit in the pantry to make jackfruit curry or faux meat stuffings for these Chinese bao buns. Nowadays, jackfruit is easily be found in well stocked Asian/ Indian & regular grocery store. Recipe for this jackfruit filling is adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine. I tweaked it a little bit to suit our taste. Here’s how to make it :
Heat margarine or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3~4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Next add the shredded jackfruit and cook for 20 minutes or until browned and caramelized. Add some water, oregano, soy sauce, coriander, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10~15 minutes or until liquid is almost evaporated. Finally stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
Other Ingredients and Toppings needed:
I made my own flatbread to serve the gyros in. Or you can use store bought pita or naan breads. The sandwiches can be loaded with hummus, marinated onions, tzatziki sauce, cucumber and tomatoes. Let’s check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 60.
