Souvlaki is one of the most traditional Greek dishes, and by far the best Greek dish (in my opinion). Fluffy pita dough filled with salad, meat, chips, and the famous tzatziki sauce. Fancy a Greek dinner and an excuse to throw some plates around? Try our mouth watering Souvlaki recipe.
Souvlaki Pita Dough Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups of flour
1 cup of hot water (not boiling)
2 teaspoons of dry yeast
2 teaspoons of salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Additional
You can add a bit of thyme or Majoram in the dough for extra flavour.
Instructions
Mix the hot water and the dry yeast and stir which a whisk until the yeast is dissolved.
Add the flour, salt and olive oil to the water mix.
If you have a mixer, let the mixer spin on half speed for about 5-6 minutes until you get a smooth dough.
If you need to work the dough by hand, knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic-like. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or work surface, but try not to add too much. It is better to use too little flour than too much. If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minute before finishing kneading.
Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and rub it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it over a few times until it’s coated with oil. Cover the dough with a clean dishcloth or clingfilm and let the dough rise until it had doubled in size. This usually takes around 1 hour in a room temperature area.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Slowly deflate the dough by gently pushing on it.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. Using a floured rolling pin (or a left over wine bottle if you don’t have a rolling pin), roll one of the pieces into a circle, 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick.
Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll it to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to your counter top. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if it is starting to stick If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Drizzle a little bit of oil in a hot pan. Put a rolled-out pita in the pan and bake for about 30 seconds, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the opposite side. Flip again and cook for another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. You will see brown spots forming.
Home Made Double-Cooked Chips
Ingredients
500g Potatoes
Oil
Water
Salt
Instructions
Put a pan of water on the stove to boil.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into even slices. Once you have cut them, place them in a bowl of cold water. This will remove the starch from the potatoes.
Rinse in cold water for around 1 minute.
Place the potatoes in the boiling water for 1-1.5 minutes. Quickly remove them and put back into a bowl of cold water. Once again, rinse them in cold water for around 1 minute to clean the remaining starch. Make sure the potatoes are cold.
Once they are cold, put them back into the boiling water for another minute. To check that they are ready, you can touch (with caution) one of the potatoes. If the outside is beginning to feel a little soft, they are ready to be removed from the boiling water.
Place the potatoes into a bowl of cold water once again, rinse dry and place in the freezer inside a plastic container. The potatoes need to be completely cold before you deep-fry them. Leave in the freeze for at least 40 minutes.
If you have a deep-fryer, set the temperature to 160 degrees. If not, put 500 ml of oil into a pan and wait until it is very hot.
Dry the potatoes so they are fully dry. Remove any ice/water before cooking.
Place the potatoes into the hot oil, and fry until you see any kind of colour emerging. Once you spot this, take them out of the oil and place on a tray with paper towels. This will soak up the oil. Put in the tray into the freezer.
From here, you can store the potatoes for another day, or take them out as soon as they are half-frozen.
Deep fry them at 180 degrees (or in a very hot pan) until they are golden brown.
TIP! This sounds like a lot of work, but it is easier than you think. The chips also taste INCREDIBLE when you cook them in this way. It is definitely worth it!
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
500gr Greek yoghurt
30ml lemon juice
2 minced garlic cloves
1 large cucumber
Table spoon fresh dill
Table spoon fresh mint
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
Dice the cucumber into little cubes. Sprinkle with a table spoon of salt to draw the water out, and put it in a s strainer. To help drain the water, put a plate on the cucumber and leave in a clean sink for about half an hour.
Put the cucumber, dill, mint, garlic, lemon juice and some pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add to the yoghurt and mix.
TIP! Taste before adding extra salt.
Salad Mix
Cucumber
Cos Lettuce
Parsley
Add to taste.
Why Should You Try Our Mouth Watering Souvlaki Recipe?
Who doesn’t like a big stodgy meal every now again? Not only is this dish made with a delicious, and incredibly tasty homemade pita, it is also filled with homemade chips, complimented by a fresh and crisp salad and topped with a smooth and minty sauce. This dish is the perfect creation and I take my hat off to the Greek people for this one!