Arabic Shawarma

As the cool winters begin to show their true colors, I crave food that is wholesome, fillng and.....just plain comfortable. The kind that you can eat sprawled on your sofa, your feet covered with a warm fuzzy blanket. Food that nourishes you physically and mentally, food that nourishes memories, nourishes the soul.

Comfort food makes me feel relaxed and happy. It’s food that jogs memories, fond memories. Food that gives me a feeling of warmth and satisfaction. And that is exactly what a Shawarma does for me. Shawarma is an Arabic pita wrap overflowing with shaved chicken or lamb. A crunchy tabooleh or fattoush salad accompanied by either tahini or hummus complete this Middle Eastern street food.

Here in Dubai, it is a common sight at every souk corner to see layers of meat and fat slowly being cooked on a spit. A juicy tomato and onion sit like a crown on top of the spit, lending its own special flavors. The meat usually cooks for a whole day before a chef expertly runs a sharp knife in a rhythmic fashion, up and down the spit, shaving thin slices of meat.

This is quickly collected into a hot pita bread and tossed around with various crunchy vegetables. French fries or pickled gherkins can also make an appearance in a shawarma. Lastly, a generous serving of garlic dip and Tabasco sauce finish of this popular street food.

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Dubai's National Day. Forty days of festivities included a  delightful invite to Arwa's home for a demonstartion on authentic Emirati cuision which I can't wait to tell you more about including some very special recipes and ingredients. Maryam also had a fun cultural day at school where she went dressed as a Tanzanian 'dada.'

She had such a great time that every morning since, for a few days at least, she thought there would party! We ate food from around the world, sang songs in many languages and even had a fashion show. Mine and Maryam's favorite snack of the day was Muhalla- a sweet crepe made of dates and cardamom. I look forward to sharing the recipe with you soon.

Today though, I’m going to share my version of shawarma with you. It is a special recipe purely because it comes from a special culture, one that I have embraced as mine. It may not have originated in Dubai but is still very Middle Eastern. I hope the warmth and comfort of Dubai’s street food and culture will emanate from this recipe, from my country to yours, from my home to your kitchen.

This recipe was also contributed to Foodiecrush Magazine's first issue. It features many of my favorite bloggers. You must take a look.

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Arabic Shawarma

Ingredients:

500 gms boneless chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbs canola oil

½ cup yoghurt

1 egg, beaten lightly

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

Salt to taste

½ tsp red chilli flakes

½ tsp garam masala

2 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

For the salad:

1 cup finely sliced lettuce

1 cucumber chopped

1 tomato chopped

3 tbs chopped coriander

3 tbs pomegranates

For the dressing:

½ cup yoghurt

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbs chopped coriander

2 tbs chopped mint

Salt to taste

To serve:

6 Arabic pita breads

Tabasco sauce

Baking paper

Directions:

Marinate the chicken in all the ingredients and set aside for an hour or so. Heat a non stick pan on medium to high heat and add the marinated chicken. Stir fry the chicken until it has cooked through and is dry- less than 10 minutes. Make sure you break up the chicken with a wooden spoon and keep stirring as it cooks.

Assemble the salad by mixing all the ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together all the dressing ingredients.

To assemble the shawarma, heat the pita bread on a skillet to warm it. Divide the salad amongst the six pita breads. Top the salad with the chicken. Drizzle the yoghurt dip over the chicken and add a dash of Tabasco sauce. Roll the pita bread tightly and wrap in baking paper. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 large shawarmas.