Lamb Gyros

From the streets of Greece, this lamb gyro is a delightful treat filled with the goodness of fresh tzatziki, seared lamb and soft pita bread. Gyro is an adaption of the döner kebab from Turkey, filled with meat slow-cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The lamb is the star of this dish, seasoned with fresh herbs and a few spices. It turns this wrap into the food of the gods. The homemade pita brings a warm softness to this dish, and the freshness of the tzatziki takes you home. With only three main ingredients, this street food is definitely in my top 10.

Serves: 5

Ingredients

350g sliced Lamb Shoulder

1 tbsp dried Garlic

1 tbsp dried Onion

1 ½ tsp Oregano

1 tsp Cumin

2 tsp Thyme

1 Lemon

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Pita Bread

¾ cup Lukewarm water

7g unactivated Yeast

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 cup Plain flour

1 cup Wheat flour

Tzatziki

250g Greek yoghurt

4 chopped Garlic cloves

1 Cucumber

Sliced Red Onion

Shredded Lettuce

Mint Leaves

Method

Step 1- Marination

Add dried garlic, dried onion, cumin, thyme, oregano, salt and sliced lamb shoulder. Coat the lamb slices with the spice rub thoroughly. Then squeeze the lemon and toss the lamb till it is coated well. Cling wrap the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Step 2

To a pan, add olive oil and place on high heat. Once hot, add the marinated lamb and cook for 4 minutes. Toss occasionally to avoid overcooking. Then add off the heat and keep aside till ready to assemble.

Step 3- Pita Bread

Add 1 ½ cups lukewarm water, yeast and sugar to a bowl. Mix well and keep in a warm space for 10-15 minutes. In another bowl, sift the plain flour, the wheat flour and salt. Whisk everything together. Make a well and add yeast water in the middle. With a fork, mix the flour into the water.

Step 4

Once the flour is partially mixed in with a dough hook/hand knead, add the leftover water and olive oil. Then knead the dough into a ball and cover the bowl. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step 5

After 30 minutes, transfer the dough to a slab and divide it into 5 balls. Then sprinkle some flour over the slab. Now with a rolling pin, flatten the dough balls into a 6-inch circle ¼ inch thick. Place a pan on heat. Once hot, cook the pita for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Step 6- Tzatziki

Grate the cucumber, transfer the grated pulp to a paper towel, and squeeze the excess water out. Add greek yoghurt, chopped garlic and grated cucumber mix thoroughly.

Step 7- Assembly

Spread the tzatziki on pita bread, add the lamb, sliced red onion, shredded lettuce and mint leaves and serve hot.

Tips

1. Marinating the lamb enhances texture and flavours, don’t skip this step.

2. You replace the lemon juice with ½ tsp of white vinegar.

3. The internal temperature of cooked lamb is 70℃.

4. Make sure to use lukewarm water to activate the yeast.

5. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.

6. You can also bake pita bread in the oven at 180℃ for 7-9 minutes.