Turkish recipes: Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma

It is similar to the dish called döner kebab, "turning kebab", in Turkish, the Greek gyros, which means also "turned" and a related Armenian dish is tarna, literally meaning again "to turn".
Shawarma is eaten as a fast food, made up into a sandwich wrap with pita bread or rolled up in flatbread together with vegetables and dressing.
A variety of vegetables could go with the shawarma which include: cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce, eggplant, parsley, pickled turnips, pickled gherkins and cabbage.
Shawarma is like the ultimate on the go meal that is quick and delicious.


Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (cut in thin strips)
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon allspice
-  juice of 1 lemon


For the Sauce:
- 1 cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons yogurt

 Pita filling:

- 8 pita bread or 4 large wraps/ flatbread
- slice cucumbers and thinly sliced onions
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- Thin sliced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley


Step 1:

Combine all ingredients except for chicken, fillings, and sauce ingredients to make marinade.
If it seems a little dry, add a little olive oil (a tablespoon at a time).


Step 2:


Add chicken to your spice mix marinade, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.







Step 3:


In a stockpot or large saucepan, cook chicken over medium heat for 45 minutes or until done.
Be sure not to overcook! If chicken becomes a little dry, add a few tablespoons of water throughout cooking process.
While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce.


Step 4:


Combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
Take the onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprinkle with sumac or little sprinkel of kosher salt.
Add other filling ingredients you would like to use in a large bowl and mix together well.


Step  5


When the chicken is done, you can shred it, slice it, or leave into large pieces.
I prefer to cut mine into wide strips.


Step 6:


Prepare the Pita, place enough chicken on pita that cover 1/4 of the loaf.
Add vegetables and pour sauce over chicken and filling mix.
Roll like a soft taco or burrito and you have shawarma!
You can also stuff a pocket of the pita if you like be inventive and experiment with diverent breads and diverse fillings.















Now in Turkey they would say " Afiyet olsun " which means;

 

                                                               " Enjoy your meal"


Where can we find Turkey in the world?

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