Lebanese Shawarma Sandwich

Lebanese Shawarma is a middle eastern recipe that has become very popular as a street food and healthy meal choice world over.

Marinated meat, usually chicken or beef, is mounted on a rotating skewer near a gas grill and slowly roasted to tender and juicy perfection.

Then these meat strips are folded in a pita bread with a mix of different vegetables, grilled, pickled and fresh. For a spread you can use hummus, tahini or garlic sauce to add creaminess and more flavour to the sandwich.

You can marinate and prepare the chicken ahead of time, and assemble the sandwich within minutes when required. This makes it ideal for school and office lunchbox.

I slow cooked the chicken in a covered pan to keep it moist, but it can also be cooked on a BBQ grill.

For Lebanese Shawarma Sandwich :

For Chicken :
1/2 kg boneless chicken
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder or paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

For Sandwich :
4 pita breads
1/2 cup hummus
(For homemade hummus check this link on the blog http://www.foodaholic.biz/homemade-hummuschick-pea-pure/)
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
A few leaves iceberg or lettuce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar

This Is What You Do :

Cut chicken into thin strips. Mix all the other ingredients for chicken to make the marinade.
Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a medium nonstick pan, add chicken with the marinade, cover the pan, cook on very low heat till the chicken is very tender and all the liquid is evaporated.
Meanwhile make the pickled cucumber, cut it into very thin slices with the peel on. Sprinkle with salt and pour the vinegar over it. Leave for ten minutes, then squeeze out the excessive liquid gently.
Cut thick slices of tomatoes and grill them till slightly charred.
Toast or grill pita breads.
To assemble the sandwich, spread hummus generously over pitas, layer the lettuce leaves, pickled cucumbers and grilled tomatoes in the middle.
Top with the slow roasted chicken strips. Fold and serve warm.

Makes 4 Shawarma Sandwiches