I’m trying to put on some muscle in the next 6 months, so I’m back to eating starchy carbs or fruits with almost every meal. Obviously not a huge plate of pasta, general about 15 – 30 grams of carbohydrates at one go, but after being on a predominantly ketogenic diet for the last 4 months, it seems like a lot!!!
This is an incredible little treat, and utilizes some wonderful indian flavors that you should easily be able to find back in North America. I used the classic Indian spice blend Garam Masala for the eggplant and chicken, a store-bought mango pickle that Whole Foods or any Indian Grocers will carry, and I rolled out my own roti. If you like salty/pickled flavors, you will love this. I have to admit, I’ve been eating 2-a-day since I came up with it…highly addictive and rich in B vitamins, calcium, Vitamin E, fiber, protein and some healthy saturated fats…
What you’ll need…
1 roti, about 5″ across
1 slice eggplant
1 tsp olive oil
garam masala spice and salt to tast
mango pickle, (store bought and preferably organic)
1 slice swiss cheese, (I just used organic, processed swiss cheese because I like how evenly it melts)
1 2-3 oz piece chicken breast
1 tsp ghee
garam masala and salt to taste
I made the roti batter ahead of time. Simply take 2 cups of whole wheat flour in a bowl, and mix in enough water to form a fairly sticky dough, (about 3/4 cup but it could be a lot less depending on humidity, etc). Knead the dough fast and hard, so that you don’t have to add in too much extra flour. Cover and refrigerate while you are preparing the eggplant and chicken. You can cook up an entire eggplant, (as I did) and grill it all in one go, and simply keep it in the fridge for the next 2 or 3 days. I did the same with the chicken. I prepared 2 breasts ahead of time, so all I had to was stack it up and pop it in the toaster oven for 2 minutes to cover 3 days worth of meals. So easy. For the eggplant, simply slice up a smaller sized eggplant lengthwise, into about 1/4 ” strips, brush the olive oil on one side, sprinkly some salt and garam masala on top, and broil in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 2 – 3 minutes, on the highest rack. Turn the eggplant over, do the same thing to the other side, and broil for another 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool down a little bit. Meanwhile, butterfly your chicken breast, lightly salt it on both sides, and get a skillet going on medium-high heat with a little bit of ghee. Cook the chicken on both sides making sure to let it brown nicely, and remove while it is still a tiny bit pink in the center, (about 4 – 5 minutes total cooking time). Sprinkle generously wit garam masala, and let sit for 3 minutes to continue cooking and let the juices spread evenly. I promise this will give you tender, succulent chicken! Now you’re ready for the roti! Simply get a dry, non-stick skillet up to high heat, shape out a golf-sized ball with your fresh roti batter, and then roll it out into a thin disc, about 5″ wide (you should have a generous amount of flour down on your rolling surface, and roll the dough out fast so it doesn’t get sticky). Throw the roti onto the hot pan, and let brown quickly, about 1 minute per side. In India we use a gas flame so after the roti has browned a little on both sides, we remove it from the pan and toss it right onto the open flame, quickly flipping it over, about 15 seconds of total cooking, just enough to make the roti puff up nicely, and imparting a slightly or charred flavor to the wheat. Now you’re ready to compose your wrap! Lay down the roti, spread about 2 tsp of mango pickle down the center, place a slice of eggplant on top, then the 2.5 oz portion of chicken, and top with a slice of cheese. You can finish it off under the broiler, but don’t over-do it! Just let the cheese melt a little bit and you’re done!
