Gluten Freebird

Cooking nowadays can really be called “inventing gluten-free substitutes for old staples of my diet.” Some of these things are hits (brownies, for example). Others are misses.

Take, for example, my Lamb Frankies. I wanted them to be delicious. They almost were.

Frankies are India’s version of a burrito and they are maddeningly tasty. Seriously, they’re maddening. I don’t want to love them. They are spicy. Filling and spicy.

I was introduced to the Frankie at Bombay Café in West Los Angeles in third grade. At that point, I chowed down on lamb, cauliflower, or chicken frankies, guzzling mango lassis, coke or anything that the kitchen recommended to temper the intense heat. As much as it burned, I loved it and would be right back the next week wanting more.

Before the gluten thing, I could have them whenever I wanted thanks to this recipe. Each component is delicious - sizzling lamb and tomato curry, crunchy/tangy cilantro onions, but it’s when they’re put together in the eggy flour wrap that the whole thing comes together. You can top it all with yogurt or chutneys, making them yourself or buying them (guess which I do…).

So, we got impossibly fresh lamb from Let’s Meat on the Avenue and that part was delicious. But I attempted to make a gluten-free wrap. And that is where everything went wrong. The consistency was right (thin like mushu pancakes), but the flavor was simply awful. I went with a pancake/tempura mix from Mr. Ritt’s in hopes that tempura wouldn’t be too sweet. I didn’t want the aftertaste of brown rice flour, but I guess that would have been better because what I got wasn’t just sweet — it was a dessert crepe stuffed with spicy curry. The best flour to use: chickpea. Live and learn, right?

Lamb Frankies (adapted from Bombay Cafe)
Yes, this is a long recipe, but it’s worth it. Do the onions in advance. Do the rotis whenever and freeze them…you’ll be glad to have eaten this.

Serves 8

Lamb masala
6 cloves garlic
1 (2-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and cut in half
3 tbs canola oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 ½ lbs boneless lamb leg meat, cut into 1-inch cubes, fat and silver skin trimmed if necessary
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp turmeric
2 large tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
3 serrano chiles, halved, seeded and sliced on the bias
1 tsp salt

Purée the garlic and half of the ginger in a blender or food processor using a little water as needed (2 tbs). Set aside in a bowl. Slice the rest of the ginger into thin matchsticks and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they turn dark gold, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir frequently so the onions do not burn at the edges and lower heat to medium if the onions start to burn.

Add the garlic-ginger purée and the lamb and continue to brown until juices are absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the spices and mix well. Stir in the sliced tomatoes, chiles, reserved ginger and salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the meat is tender enough to cut with a fork, about 75 minutes.

Lime-Cilantro Onions
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp salt
¼ cup lime juice

One hour before serving, combine the onion, cilantro, salt and lime juice to taste in a bowl and toss together. Cover with plastic and set aside.

Rotis
2 cups chickpea flour, plus an additional ½ cup
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ to ¾ cup milk

Sift 2 cups of the flour, the sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour and add the yogurt. Blend with your fingers while adding the milk, 1/4 cup at a time. Use only enough milk to form a soft, pliable dough. Dust with a little of the remaining flour and set aside, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Dredge in flour and flatten into disks 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. Roll out into thin 8-inch rounds, using flour as needed to keep them from sticking. (Note: rounds can be frozen at this point between wax paper in an airtight bag.)

Assembly
8 rotis
¼ cup oil
3 beaten eggs
Lamb masala
Lime-cilantro onions
Chutneys or yogurt

Heat a large griddle or heavy skillet over high heat. Place a roti on it and turn after about 30 seconds. Brush lightly with oil and turn again. Oil the second side. Pour about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the beaten eggs onto the roti and spread to cover surface. When the egg starts to firm, flip the roti to cook the egg into a light omelet-like coating on that side, about 30 seconds.

Remove the roti to a plate, egg side down. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of warm lamb masala in the center lengthwise. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of lime-cilantro onions and top with any chutneys. Fold the bottom end of the roti over about 1 ½ inches and roll like a burrito.
Repeat with the remaining rotis.

Serve immediately (with beverage).