Chawarma (one base for all)

I make chawarma/ shawarma at home quite often and yes with so many different fillings. Sometimes, its chicken, sometimes, meat, kebe, falafel (chickpea vadas), french fries etc. The chawarma base can be so simple yet so full of flavour, tasty and healthy. This one can be used as a common base for any chawarma. I have used a garlic mayonnaise sauce as the chawarma sauce here. One can also use hummos or tahini sauce (sesame sauce). Here goes the recipe.....

Ingredients:
Lebanese bread - 1 nos
Garlic -mayonnaise sauce - 1 tbsp
Pickled cucumber - 2-3 small
Lettuce leaves (chopped) - 1 handful
Onion - 1 nos
Tomato - 1 nos

Method:
Place the Lebanese bread on a tawa and warm it. Spread garlic mayonnaise sauce. Top with sliced or chopped pickled cucumber ( I used small Lebanese cucumber). Also add chopped onions, tomato and lettuce. Place any main ingredient of choice like falafel, chicken , meat etc. wrap into a roll using a wrapping paper or aluminium foil and enjoy.

Note:
Mix 1/4 tsp garlic paste with 2 tbsp mayonnaise to get garlic mayonnaise sauce. Soak tiny Lebanese cucumber in vinegar with salt to get pickled cucumber (can include other veggies as well). Can replace lettuce leaves with fresh parsley, coriander etc.

Healthy Plats (Chawarma/Shawarma)

Healthy food is something that has gained so much of importance these days. People are hunting for healthy recipes, which can let them along with their family members stay fit and healthy. Any food which is packed with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fibre and healthy fats (rich in omega-3 fatty acids like olive oil) are simply healthy when consumed in right propotions. Here is one...

Ingredients:
Pita - 1 large
Stir fried chicken - 300 grams
Egg Salad - 1 cup

Method:
Place the pita on hot tawa, and heat it for 30 secs or until its soft. Place it on a serving plate. Top it with stir fried chicken and egg salad. Now the healthy plat is ready. Enjoy the meal

Note:
Can smear some garlic -mayonnaise paste or hummos or sesame seed paste etc on the pita. I have excluded it to keep the plat healthy.

Chawarma/Shawarma vegetarian

Chawarma vegetarian is very healthy meal. The combinations available at restaurants are few like falafel chawarma or kebe (veg) chawarma or even a normal veg chawarma where some french fries, salad (Lebanese salad which includes chopped parsley, cucumber, tomatoes etc). But, I love to make my own combinations without compensating for the taste. I try out new combinations which are not only tasty and spicy but also healthy. Here is one.


Ingredients:
Pita - 2 nos
French fries - one handful
Mayonnaise - 2 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1/4tsp


For the veg filling:
Onions - 1 nos
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly paste - 1 tbsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Capsicum or green bell peppers - 1 nos
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Carrots - 1 nos
Salt for taste
Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a wok, add finely chopped onions and saute till golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min. Add chilly powder and give a stir. Add red chilly paste, chopped capsicum , carrots (cut into thin strips), green peas and stir fry for 2 min. Finally add salt and stir well. Now the veg filling is ready. Place the pita on a tawa for 30sec (or till it is soft). Mix mayonnaise and garlic paste well and spread about 1 tbsp on each pita. Place the veg filling, french fries and wrap it well. Place it on a sandwich maker or tawa/ pan and heat it, till its stiff and gets that shape of a roll. Wrap it with a aluminium foil sheet or any wrapping paper and serve hot.

Note:
Can add pickled veggies, salads etc. along with the veg filling.

Chawarma/Shawarma (chicken liver filling)

I usually do some pepper fry of liver meat (of chicken, goat etc). I had some leftover chicken liver and was wondering what I could do with it (as the quantity was quite less). I usually try out unusual fillings for chawarma and just thought of using this chicken liver as a filling. It came out really well. Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
Pita - 2 nos
Mayonaise - 2 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1/4tsp

For the chicken liver filling:
Chicken liver - 100 grams
Onions - 1 nos
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 2 nos
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Salt for taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a wok, add finely chopped onions and saute till golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min. Add chilly powder and give a stir. Add chicken liver, chopped green chillies, pepper powder and stir well. Add salt, water (if required) and cook till oil seperates. Now the chicken liver filling is ready. Place the pita on a hot tawa for 30sec (or till it is soft). Mix mayoniase and garlic paste well and spread about 1 tbsp on each pita. Place the chicken liver filling, and wrap it well. Place it on a sandwich maker or tawa/ pan and heat it, till its stiff and gets that shape of a roll. Wrap it with a aluminium foil sheet or any wrapping paper and serve hot.

Note:
Can add pickled veggies, salad, french fries etc. for variation. Great way to use leftover chicken liver.

Chawarma/ Shawarma( Shish taouk masala filling)

Chawarma with Shish taouk masala filling was such a great hit here. I added some extra pepper powder to make the Shish taouk masala spicy and dark brownish in color. The French fries were also spiced up by added salt, pepper and chilly powder. On the whole the spicy filling with the creamy mayonnaise - garlic paste went really well and the chawarma was indeed a super hit. Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:
Pita - 2 nos
Mayonnaise - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 1/2 tsp
French fries - 2 handful
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/8 tsp

Shish taouk masala for the filling
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
In a pan, heat oil, add the Shish taouk masala and pepper powder and stir fry till the chicken is well browned and coated with the peppery layer, turn off the flame and keep aside. Sprinkle some chilly powder, pepper and salt on the french fries, mix well and keep aside. Heat the pita on a tawa or pan. Place it on a work table, spread 1 tbsp mayonnaise - garlic paste on each pita. Place the peppery Shish taouk masala on the center along with the spicy french fries. Roll it well. Place again on the tawa or sandwich press, and heat for a min or till it gets its shape. Wrap it using a aluminium foil or wrapping paper. Serve hot

Note:
Can include some pickled veggies or salad also for the filling. Mix the mayonnaise and garlic paste to get the mayonnaise - garlic paste. Excellent way to use leftover Shish taouk masala

Plats (chawarma)

Those who love chawarma, and want to have lots of it... can always try this plats . They are sandwiches made with pita. Quite heavy as there is a rich filling inside usually made with hummos, mayonnaise - garlic paste, chicken or meat or turkey or falafel etc., with some french fries, pickled veggies, salad etc. Filling is placed on one pita, then another pita is placed on top to make these plats. The fillings and combinations can be many. There are variety of plats like hummos chawarma, steak, taboule (Lebanese salad ), fatouche (Lebanese salad), salad, hummos mutton, chicken liver, minced meat etc. In this I have used chicken filling. Here goes the recipe....

Ingredients:
Pita - 2 nos
Mayonnaise - 2 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1/4 tsp
French fries - 1 handful
Boneless chicken - 200 grams
Onions - 1 nos
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Chicken stock cube - 1 nos
Dark soya sauce -1 tbsp
Green chillies - 1 nos
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt if required for taste only

Method:
Heat oil in a wok, Add finely chopped onion and stir fry till golden brown, add ginger - garlic paste and saute for a min. Add the chilly powder and give it a stir. Add diced chicken cubes and saute for a min. Add finely chopped green chillies, chicken stock cube, pepper powder, dark soya sauce and give a good stir. Add salt if required (little water can be added if required). Cook till its done or till oil seperates. Now the chicken filling is ready. Place one pita on a work table. Spread mayonnaise-garlic paste, place the chicken filling, some french fries. Place another pita on top. Serve this with pickled veggies or salad.

Note:
Mix mayonnaise and garlic paste to get mayonnaise-garlic paste. I did not add salt as the chicken stock cube that i used had salt in it (moreover dark soya sauce also has salt). Excellent way to use leftover chicken .

Shish taouk masala

Shish taouk is a typical Persian grill. Shish is skewers and taouk is chicken. Its usually some chicken marinated with yogurt, lime juice, ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste etc. I had some shish touk in hand. Moreover, I always love to try out different recipes Indian style which is usually spicy, tasty, colorful, aromatic and full of flavour. This shish taouk masala would be fantastic filling for chawarma, wraps, rolls, burritos etc. At home, It was preferred to be served with rice, and rasam. Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
Shish Taouk - 2 nos
(skewered chicken)
Onions - 1 nos
green chillies - 2 nos
ginger - garlic paste - 1 nos
chilly powder - 2 tbsp
garam masala - 1 tsp
pepper powder - 1 tsp
salt for taste
oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a wok, add finely chopped onions, and fry till golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min. Add chilly powder and give it a stir. Add shish taouk, garam masala, finely chopped green chillies and stir for a min. Finally add salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Note:
Excellent way to use leftover shish taouk.

For shish taouk:
Marinate boneless chicken cubes with ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, yogurt, tomato paste, paprika powder or chilly powder, olive oil and salt. Skewer and grill on a charcoal barbecue or electric barbecue ( can even use the oven). Cook till its done.

Markouk sandwich ( Indian twist)

I brought this bread from the Lebanese supermarket. This was very similar to pita in taste, but it was more flat and thin, without any pockets (can't really fill anything), extremely large. It was perfect for making wraps and rolls. But I somehow felt like making a sandwich which is also very common in Lebanese food. This one reminded me of lasagna simply cause it appeared that way. Here it goes...

Ingredients:
Markouk- 1 nos
mayonnaise - 4 tsp
garlic - 1/4 tsp

For the minced meat filling:
Minced meat - 200 grams
Onions - 1 nos
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 2 nos
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt for taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a wok, add finely chopped onions and saute till golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min. Add chilly powder and give a stir. Add minced meat, chopped green chillies, garam masala powder stir well, so that lumps are not formed. Add salt, water (if required) and cook till oil separates. Cut the markouk bread into rectangular shapes using pair of scissors. Place one sheet, spread 1 tsp mayonnaise-garlic paste, add the minced meat filling. Top this with one more sheet. And again spread mayonnaise-garlic paste, meat. continue the same method to get 4 layers, now the sandwich is ready. Heat it using a tawa or sandwich maker. Enjoy the sandwich.

Note:
Mix the mayonnaise with garlic paste to get the mayonnaise-garlic paste.

Chawarma /Shawarma(minced meat filling)

Chawarma or shawarma is a common Arabic wrap. Thanks to my Lebanese friends here again for I got to learn a lot about Lebanese cuisine. Usually, Pita bread is filled with some spread, salad, pickled veggies, french fries, chicken or meat etc.. This meat or chicken is usually on a rotisserie (helps in uniform cooking), behind this is an eletric oven , and the meat gets cooked with this heat. But, there is no hard and fast rule that the meat has to be cooked this way. The filling can vary. Even the spread can vary, like some prefer a hummus spread, some prefer ground seasame spread, some prefer mayonaisse, garlic spread etc. Chawarma is one meal with which I could try out different combinations, fillings etc. I even use some leftover meat, chicken etc. Here is one...

Ingredients:
Pita - 4 nos
French fries - one handful
Mayonaise - 4 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1/2tsp


For the minced meat filling:
Minced meat - 200 grams
Onions - 1 nos
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 2 nos
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt for taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a wok, add finely chopped onions and saute till golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min. Add chilly powder and give a stir. Add minced meat, chopped green chillies, garam masala powder stir well, so that lumps are not formed. Add salt, water( if required) and cook till oil seperates. Now the minced meat filling is ready. Place the pita on a tawa for 30sec (or till it is soft). Mix mayoniase and garlic paste well and spread about 1 tbsp on each pita. Place the minced meat filling, french fries and wrap it well. Place it on a sandwich maker or tawa/ pan and heat it, till its stiff and gets that shape of a roll. Wrap it with a aluminium foil sheet or any wrapping paper and serve hot.

Note:
Can add pickled veggies, hot chilly sauce ( if you like it spicy)etc. for variation. Great way to use leftover minced meat.

Pita Spinach sandwich

Pita is a round bread with pockets (usually used in chawarma or other sandwich), commonly found in middle eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Thanks to all my Lebanese friends here in Ivory coast who introduced me to Lebanese cuisine. I was fascinated and wanted to try each one of them at home. I did try quite a few at home like chawarma, shish taouk, falafal, escalope de poulet, varieties of sandwich, kebe, kebabs etc. This is one healthy snack which I love to have whenever I'm hungry. Pita breads can be usually stuffed with salads, sauces, meat, chicken etc. I have made a simple spinach filling. But, its tasty and healthy as well. Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
Pitta bread - 1 nos

For the filling:
Chopped spinach - 1 cup
Onions - 1 nos
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Salt for taste


Method:
Heat oil in a wok, splutter cumin seeds, add finely spiced onions and saute for 2 min. Add garlic paste and stir for a min. Add chilly powder and give a stir. Now add the finely chopped spinach (little water can be added if required), and salt. Cover and cook till the oil separates. Now the filling is ready. Take the pita bread, warm it on a pan or tawa for 30 sec on each side (not too much, as that can get hard). Cut it in to halves (I used a pair of scissors). Stuff with the filling, fold again to get layered sandwich. Enjoy the sandwich.

Note:
Can place this sandwich in a sandwich press and heat it again to get the compact shape. If you are looking for more rich sandwich then you can spread a layer of mayonnaise - garlic paste, then place the filling, can add some french fries also. I prefer to stuff some salad inside (like cucumber, parsley etc)