Chicken Shawarma / Arabian Shawarma

INGREDIENTS:

10 cloves garlic, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground pepper
5 drops yellow food colouring, optional
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 pieces pita bread
1 tomato, chopped
Shawarma Sauce, recipe follows

METHOD:
To make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, and oil. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, and food coloring and whisk to combine. Add chicken and coat with marinade. Marinate chicken overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat a grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through. Serve chicken on pita and top with tomatoes and Shawarma Sauce.
Shawarma Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
1 cup store-bought tahini
3 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
Salt
Add garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until chopped. Add tahini and pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly add cold water until frothy. Add lemon juice and mix until creamy. Season with salt, to taste.

Handi Gola Kabab

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 kg mutton mince

1/4 cup bhuna chana

1 tsp of all spices

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup curd

1 large raw onion, ground

2 tsp levelled ginger/garlic
To grind:

1 tbsp papaya

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp saunf

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp coconut

4 red chilli

METHOD:

Roast all the ingredients to be ground and grind to a fine paste with chana.
Marinate mince with papaya, salt, ginger/garlic and all the roasted and ground masala.
Leave for an hour or two.
Mix well and refrigerate.
Mix in curd.
Make balls and fry in a little oil.
Let it cook on a slow fire.
Garnish with chopped green chilli, coriander leaves.
Remove on a serving dish.

Kafta Kabab (Arabic)

INGREDIENTS:

2lbs/ 1kg approx. lean ground lamb or beef (or a mix of them)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves (optional)

3 cloves garlic - peeled & crushed

1 green chilli - finely chopped

1 beaten egg

1 tbsp milk

1-2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

Kosher salt to taste

lemon wedges, parsley leaves, green olives,

hummus, pickles & khubz/ pita bread on the side

2 tbsp olive oil.

METHOD:

Mix all the ingredients together other than the bread-crumbs, milk, eggs, oil & sides/garnish items.
Leave to marinate for 20 mins (30 is better).
In a separate bowl, mix the egg, bread-crumbs & milk into a coarse mix - do not over mix & mash.
Now add the egg-crumb mixture into the meat mixture, evenly yet not over-mixed!
This gives a semi-crunchy texture to the kababs.
Shape into 1 inch thick rolls & press skewers through them lengthwise, gently pressing the meat onto the metal and barbeque until meat is cooked smearing with oil from time to time. OR
Press the roll flat (3-4 cm thick) onto a baking tray or grill pan & grill on medium heat (high heat will dry them up) for 10-15 mintues on both side, smearing with olive oil from time to time.
Place kababs onto a bed of salad (chopped lettuce, plain or roasted tomatoes & onion rings, pickles, olives, etc.)
Spoon some hummus on the side along with some tempting lemon & khubz wedges.
Serve with some Laban (Ayran) as a side-drink.