Photo: @flouredfingers_
Vegan Gyros with jackfruit by Yuliya Mihaylova
Gyros might seem like a lot of work to prepare, but in reality, they require just three main components: the “meaty” element, the fries, and the sauce. Use some baking paper to wrap them up and you will have the perfect picnic food.
For this recipe, I’ve replaced meat with jackfruit, which is often used in vegan cooking as a meat replacement thanks to its texture. With the right seasoning, it can resemble pork, chicken or pulled beef. You can find it in a tin can with brine, cut into big chunks. It does need to be well-drained before you can use it. Here are all the steps.
See also: 3-Ingredient Sriracha Baked Tofu Fries Recipe
Difficulty: Medium
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50-60 minutes
Ingredients
For 10 small gyros (or 6 with bigger flatbread)
10 gyros flatbreads
For the potatoes:
8 to 10 medium sized potatoes
3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
For the jackfruit filling:
300 to 400 grams of jackfruit from a can
3 bell peppers (preferably one red, green and yellow)
2 heads of yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
For the tzatziki sauce (tzatziki):
1 cucumber
6-7 tbsp soy or coconut yoghurt
2 tbsp vegan mayo
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp fresh or dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Chop up some spring onion as garnish for freshness.
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Method
For the fries
First, prepare the fries. We will be using the oven instead of a deep fryer.
Peel and cut your potatoes into thin slices, then wash them well with cold water. Dry them as much as possible with a clean kitchen towel – when they are wet, they will be softer, not crispy and the oil and seasoning will not stick well to them.
Coat all the fries with the oil then add the starch and all the seasoning.
Put the fries on the big baking sheet from your oven and make sure you put a baking paper or a silicone mat underneath.
Spread them evenly in one layer in the pan. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes (the last 10 minutes, turn on your oven fan - that will make them slightly crispy).
While your potatoes are baking, prepare the rest of your jackfruit filling.
For the jackfruit filling
Cut the onions and the bell peppers in thick slices and mince three big cloves of garlic. Set them aside.
Next, prepare the jackfruit. Drain the jackfruit from the brine then transfer the pieces in a cheese cloth to squeeze as much of the water out of it. If you don’t have a cheesecloth, try a clean kitchen towel or just use your hands.
After all of the water is removed, pull it apart into small pieces with your hands and set it aside.
In a deep, heated pan pour your oil (2-3 tbsp). Allow it to heat up, then add the minced garlic and give it just about a minute to cook.
Add the well drained jackfruit to the pan, add a bit of salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes. If it looks too dry, you can add an additional tbsp of oil.
Add in the onions and all of the cut bell peppers to the pan, together with all seasonings.
Stir occasionally and let them cook for about five minutes. Do not overcook the veggies - they need to stay slightly crispy and have a bite. If they are cooked for too long, they get mushy and not so pleasant in the end result. Give the mix a taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Once cooked, set it aside and we’ll prepare the sauce.
For the tzatziki sauce
Grate your cucumber or cut it into small pieces.
In a small bowl, mix your soy yogurt and the mayonnaise, the minced garlic, salt, pepper and dill and mix well.
Assembly
Heat up your bread according to the package instructions.
Spread one side of the bread with tzatziki, add some of the jackfruit and veggie mix. Layer on some crispy potatoes and top it off with a bit more tzatziki. If you wish, you can garnish with a bit of cut spring onion.
Fold the sides of the gyros inward and wrap it up with some baking paper.
Yes, it takes a bit of time and effort to make these, but I guarantee you that every minute spent in making this is well worth it.
