The House of Spices

What is Shawarma?

Shawarma (pronounced as Sha-War-Ma) is one of the world’s most popular middle eastern street foods. It means “to turn”, which explains the process of cooking meat slices on a rotisserie - slowly turning, which is how it is traditionally made. 

 

The meat is usually marinated in aromatic spices, lemon and garlic before being grilled. Although it's usually made of lamb, beef and sometimes chicken, my shawarma recipe is a great vegetarian and vegan friendly recipe using jackfruit. The juice and meaty texture of the jackfruit along with an incredible burst of flavour delivered through freshly ground spices brings this shawarma recipe to a whole new level! 

 

Can I grill the Shawarma?

Absolutely, you can grill the jackfruits using a skewer! But, you would need to pan fry the chickpeas separately. Alternatively, you can cook it all in a stovetop pan. However, this will not give you the same roasted/charred effect. Hence, the easiest and quickest way would be to use an oven!

 

How long is the recommended marination time?

To ensure the jackfruit and chickpeas have absorbed the spices, at least two hours of marination is certainly required. Although if you are not running short of time, I would recommend you to marinate it in the fridge for a day. The longer the marination time, the better the shawarma is going to taste!

 

Is it necessary to use chickpeas or any beans for this recipe?

The chickpeas add extra flavour and texture to the shawarma. If you don’t like chickpeas, feel free to replace them with another type of bean that you enjoy eating. I wouldn’t recommend skipping them completely unless you absolutely don’t like any types of beans. However, if you intend to, ensure to add 200 grams of jackfruit to replace the 200 grams of chickpeas.

 

Can we use fresh chickpeas instead?

Absolutely, you can use fresh chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas if you want. Just ensure you cook the chickpeas before using them. Also, make sure they have completely cooled down before using them in this recipe.

 

Can I use readymade shawarma masala for this recipe?

Different brands use different spices to make their shawarma masala! Some brands use turmeric and nutmeg whereas some don’t, hence it will make it difficult for you to replicate my recipe exactly using a readymade shawarma masala. Having said that, it is not impossible to recreate my recipe using a store bought masala. You can simply add the remaining spices required for this recipe which are not included in your store bought masala. 

 

If you plan to make the shawarma masala from scratch, please ensure to use all the ingredients mentioned in the recipe. There are over 10 spices used to make the masala, each of which have a different flavour profile. When you combine them together, they form an incredible blend of spices that will make your shawarma so flavourful and aromatic.

 

How do I serve the Shawarma?

Although shawarma recipes vary based from region to region, it traditionally consists of meat, a sauce/spread, and toppings which are wrapped in a piece of flatbread. I serve my vegan shawarma in a taco style. I love using pita or mini wraps, and then spreading it with hummus and topping it off with some fresh lettuce and tomatoes. However, you can serve your shawarma with some rice too! There is no right or wrong way of serving Shawarma.

 

Can I make the shawarma in advance and store it?

Unlike other recipes, this recipe tastes great if you prepare it in advance! You can prepare the shawarma masala and store it in the fridge and use it whenever you like. 

The shawarma tastes great if you marinate the jackfruit at least a day before cooking it. You could also leave it in the freezer for up to a month before actually cooking it. However, I wouldn’t recommend that unless you really need to do so!

 

Overall, most parts of this recipe can be made in advance however, once it’s been cooked, I would recommend you to finish it the same day (preferably warm).

 

Any substitutes for the ingredients mentioned?

There are a number of substitutes available if you don’t have access to the ingredients mentioned in the recipe.

1. You can substitute the chickpeas for any other beans that you like or have available. 

2. If you have run out of parsley, feel free to substitute it with some fresh coriander instead.

3. The pita bread or tortilla wraps can be substituted with taco shells.

4. Hummus can be substituted with Tahini, Tzatziki, Sriracha mayonnaise or any other spread of your choice.

5. You can also serve the Shawarma as per your likings and use any toppings including cucumber, onion or even pickles. 

 

Any cooking tips for this recipe?

1. Marinate the jackfruit meat with the spices for as long as you can. You can prepare it the night before, saving you lots of time. Also, the longer you let it sit, the more flavourful it shall be. 

2. When baking the shawarma, make sure you cook it until it’s slightly charred. Do not remove it from the oven too quickly. You can increase the temperature of your oven to maximum, for a couple of minutes (at the end), to give it that charred texture.