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A Recipe for the Whole Family: Homemade Pita, Grilled Chicken and Tzatziki

Just in time for the school holidays, Melbourne-based cook and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura shares a recipe the whole family can enjoy.

“This is such a staple in our house. It’s delicious, packed full of flavour and such a fun meal to make with the kids. I love getting my little ones to help me make the pita, grate the cucumber for the tzatziki and mix it all together. Serve everything on a big board in the middle of the table and let them assemble their own.”

Above: theo timber salad bowl, nolan salad servers, theo salt and pepper dish, theo large timber paddle, yarra small salad bowl, Australian cotton issi tea towel, yarra dip bowl bowl.

Homemade Pita with Grilled Chicken and Tzatziki

Serves 4

Ingredients

Grilled chicken

  • 650g skinless chicken thighs, halved
  • 2 tsp dried Greek oregano
  • Finely grated zest of a lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin oil
  • Sea salt and pepper

Yoghurt pita

  • 500g plain flour, plus extra to dust
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 450g plain natural yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Above: yarra small salad bowl, theo timber spoon, theo salt and pepper dish, kairi measuring cup set (coming soon), theo timber shallow bowl, rolling pin (coming soon).

Tzatziki

  • 3 (300g) Lebanese cucumbers
  • 400g plain natural yoghurt
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of a lemon
  • Handful of dill fronds, finely chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper

Cos salad

  • 1 cos lettuce, quartered lengthwise
  • Large handful of dill fronds
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, to serve
Above left: Haruki wears organically grown cotton block stripe t-shirt, with kairi measuring cup set (coming soon), theo timber shallow bowl, theo salt and pepper dish, yarra small salad bowl, demm kitchen bowl. Above right: Nori wears regular revere organically grown linen shirt, Yukito wears unisex textured overall, verified australian cotton heritage tee, Julia wears organically grown linen popover, davi apron, with demm kitchen bowl, theo timber spoon.

Method

  1. Place the chicken in a large non-reactive bowl with the remaining ingredients. Season well with salt and pepper and mix with your hands so that the chicken is well coated. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. If marinating for longer than 30 minutes, place in the fridge.
  2. Soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water while the chicken is marinating, to avoid them burning on the grill.
  3. Meanwhile, make the pita by placing the flour, baking powder and sea salt in a large bowl. Mix to combine then make a well in the centre. Add the yoghurt and olive oil and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a floured work bench and knead until it comes together into a smooth dough. Roll into a log and divide into 8 pieces. Roll into 18cm rounds, using more flour if they begin to stick.
Above left: Haruki wears organically grown cotton block stripe t-shirt, with rolling pin (coming soon), theo timber round board, theo timber shallow bowl. Above right: Julia wears organically grown linen popover, davi apron.
  1. Heat a heavy based frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the pita in the pan until bubbling and golden (around 1-2 minutes), then flip and cook for another minute, or until cooked through. Place on a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm and soft while you continue with the remaining rounds.
  2. For the tzatziki, grate the cucumbers on a coarse box grater. Squeeze out all of the excess water from the grated cucumbers and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and season to taste. Set aside to let the flavours meld together.
Above: Yukito wears unisex textured overall, verified australian cotton heritage tee.
  1. Skewer the pieces of marinated chicken with pre-soaked bamboo skewers or metal skewers. Heat a grill plate or grill pan to high and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until lightly charred and cooked through. Transfer to a plate to rest and keep warm.
  2. Arrange the cos lettuce on a serving plate and top with the dill and spring onions. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon and season with sea salt.
  3. Serve the chicken with extra lemon wedges alongside the tzatziki, pita and salad.

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