Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish of garlicky meat or poultry. This was my first attempt at chicken shawarma to pair with my Fattoush Salad. I picked this recipe because I had all of the ingredients on hand. Although it was delicious, it did not have the flavor I was aiming for. I would make this again but I am still on the lookout for more shawarma recipes to recreate the flavor of that first dining experience. Be sure to check out the Fattoush Salad and Hummus that completed my meal recreation.
Chicken Shawarma
Chicken Shawarma
recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Chicken:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 (3-inch) strips
Sauce:
½ cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Remaining ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 (6-inch) pitas
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
8 (¼ inch-thick) tomato slices
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients (through 1 garlic clove), stirring with a whisk.
Thread 2 chicken strips onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place pitas on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted.
Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates; top each serving with ¼ cup lettuce and 2 tomato slices. Top each serving with 4 chicken pieces; drizzle each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
