Mushroom shawarma with tahini sauce

Shawarma are generally considered meat-filled, but a wonderful recipe uses earthy mushrooms.

Shawarma originated in the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) in the 18th or 19th century. The word "shawarma" itself comes from the Turkish word "çevirme," meaning "to turn," which describes the vertical rotisserie method used to cook the meat. This method involves stacking marinated slices of beef on a skewer and slowly roasting them over an open flame. The rotisserie allowed the meat to crisp on the outside while remaining juicy inside.

Here, the meat is substituted with mushrooms. You can use any mushrooms of your choice, but if possible, choose hearty mushrooms with a firm structure, like portobello or trumpet.

This is a lovely appetiser. The mushrooms are delicately flavoured with spices, and the rich tahini sauce adds a creamy texture. I love serving these as small bites, but your guests will want to have a few and fill up before dinner.

This is a relatively new cookbook in my library. It is filled with contemporary Arab recipes, each one a delight, like this one. Each recipe has an introduction that pr, precedes it, explaining the origins of the dish and its history, something I enjoy about reading and cuisine, I have so much to learn about. It's a wonderful cookbook, one you'll see me cook from again.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the tahini sauce:

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon lime juice

1-2  tablespoons yoghurt

1 clove garlic, minced

A handful of parsley, minced

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the shawarma:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 lb of oyster mushrooms, sliced

1/4 lb of fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 onion, thinly sliced 

1 teaspoon of 7-spice mix

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon lime juice

Pita bread

Cucumbers

Lettuce leaf

Pickled jalapeno

Parsley

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and sauté until cooked but not coloured. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Fry until the mushrooms have released their water and are fried crisp.

Add the onions and fry until they are lightly golden. Add the 7-spice mix, curry powder, chilli powder, paprika, and sauté until the spices are aromatic, taking care not to burn them. Remove from the heat. 

To serve, heat the mushroom mix. Cut a pita bread into halves or quarters and stuff each half with a lettuce leaf and a few cucumber slices. Add the mushroom mix and drizzle the tahini sauce over. Garnish with parsley nd a pickled jalapeno. Serve immediately.