Every now and then I have to post a vegetarian version of a meat-based dish that I’ve never actually tasted. It’s a bit of a conundrum. See, part of why I know what I’m doing when it comes to vegetarian cooking is because I’ve been cooking vegetarian meals for a long time. But the reason I’ve been doing it so long is because I gave up meat at a pretty young age. So, lots of the dishes I’d like to make-over are dishes I’ve never in fact tried. Take gyros for example. I know some parents who are pretty good at getting their kids to eat stuff that might be considered a little exotic, but lamb just wasn’t happening on my dinner plate when I was a kid. So I never tried a gyro. I’ve gone out for Greek food and been served sandwiches with names like “veggie pita.” That, along with some Googling, is about as much as I know about what gyros taste like. Setting authenticity aside, you should probably make these, for a few reasons. First, they were delicious. They tasted, to me, what I always imagined a gyro would taste like, you know, except for the lamb part. They do have all of the seasonings you’d normally find in a gyro. Second, despite having never tasted a gyro, I apparently nailed it. My husband (who has had an authentic gyro) confirmed that what I created was, in fact, a gyro, only better, because it was made with eggplant. I’ve had tzatziki sauce, so I can say with confidence that if you’re missing dairy tzatziki, this will do the trick for you. In fact, I think I like my vegan tzatziki better than the conventional version. That’s saying a lot. This stuff is super creamy and packed with garlic and dill flavor. With it slathered all over my eggplant and veggies, I felt like I could no longer claim not to know what a gyro tastes like!
Do I need to salt my eggplant? Only if it’s been hanging around for a few days and/or shows browning when you cut it open. In this case, salting will remove any bitterness that may have developed. If you do find that you need to salt your eggplant, just place the strips in a colander and sprinkle them liberally with salt. Let them sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse well and pat try. Why does this recipe use so much oil? Eggplant soaks up oil like crazy when it cooks! You may try to cut back on it, but do so at your own risk and make sure you’ve got a good nonstick cooking surface. Can this recipe be made gluten-free? It can, if you can find gluten-free pita bread and use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.
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