Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Chicken Shawarma is like the ultimate on the go meal. Thinly sliced meat, wrapped in a pita bread with veggies and sauce is a delicious quick meal. Learn how to make chicken shawarma, just like at your favorite Middle Eastern restaurants!

Ingredients - Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning
• Juice of 1 lemon, divided
• 1 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
  
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 to 8 ounces each)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
• 4 pitas

Preparation

• Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to high.
• In a bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, cardamom, chili powder, paprika and grill seasoning. And the juice of half a lemon, the garlic and about 3 tablespoons EVOO and stir until it is paste-like. Slather the mixture all over the chicken until it is well-coated.
• Transfer to the grill and cook on each side for 6-7 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest before thinly slicing. Once the chicken is working, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Once you see the oil ripple, add the onions and peppers, and season with some salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the veggies start to wilt. Once the onions are working make the sauce: In a bowl, combine the juice of the remaining half lemon, the tahini, yogurt, some salt and a small drizzle of EVOO. Mix to combine.
• Place the pitas on the grill to warm them and give them a light char, about 1 minute on each side. To assemble, place some of the sliced chicken on each pita, top with some of the pepper and onion mixture, and a good dollop of the yogurt-tahini sauce.

Machboos

Machboos is a dish of rice & meat, popular in many Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Here is a version of Machboos recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 650 g basmati rice
• 3 tomatoes, quartered
• 1-1 1/2 kg chicken
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 green hot pepper, as desired
• 2 black dried limes
• 2 teaspoons buharat spice mix
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 slice ginger root, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons rose water
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 teaspoons salt

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken in half. Heat the water and leave aside. In a small bowl, mix the spices (garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom) together and add to the mixture one teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture on the chicken halves.
2. Heat oil in a large cooking pan, fry the onions until golden brown, then add to the pepper and the black limes - you MUST make a hole in each limes.
3. Add the chicken to the onion mixture and turn it over a few times in the pan. Sprinkle on the chicken a teaspoon of cinnamon and the rest of the mixed spices. Turn the contents all together so the chicken is coated with the spices, cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, chopped ginger, and tomato cubes to the pan and turn the ingredients in the pan a few times. Cover again for 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pour on it water while its still hot.Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the copped coriander 5 minutes before you remove the chicken from the stock in the pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice well and soak for 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.Remove the chicken from the pan and put on an oven tray, brush with some oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon powder and grill in the oven until the chicken is golden brown.Add the rice to the chicken stock, stir, then let it cook on low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and is almost done.Sprinkle rose water and lemon juice over the rice and place the butter pieces on the top. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Serve the rice on a large serving plate and place the grilled chicken halves on the top.

Rice with Tomato Recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Rice with Tomato Recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Rice with Tomato.  

Preparation time :     15 minutes

Cooking time :     25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6 persons)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or ghee

2 medium onions or 300 g, finely chopped

4 small tomatoes or 400 g, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 bay leaf

4 whole cardamom pods

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, dried

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cubes MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon

3 cups basmati rice or 600 g

5 cups water or 1250 ml

Preparation

Heat oil in a pot and sauté onions for 6 minutes.

Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, bay leave, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, black pepper, garlic gloves, MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon cubes, and Basmati rice. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes.

Pour water and cover the pot. Cook rice for 20 minutes or until it is well done.

Serving tips : Serve the rice with any grilled fish, chicken or meat dish