A MEDITERRANEAN LOVE AFFAIR - Pita Bread,Chicken Shawarma, Garlic Sauce,Tahini & Hummus (from scratch!)

" I am so excited!!! I made it at home! I made it at home!! YEaaaaYYY!! If I can, so can you! " was my status message on Facebook for the last 2 days, and I am still excited! For those of y'all who have been wondering what line meant... here is the answer :-) I very (?) successfully made a big fat Mediterranean dinner at home...and we both loved it to the last bite.


Shawarma and my brother are thick pals, which I have mentioned in one of my previous posts too...you could also call them as chuddy buddies ;-) And I gradually got into that line too...later all 4 of us were big time fans of Shawarma sold by Cita Pani, a small restaurant very close to our home in Kannur. And whenever we waited inside our car for the delivery boy to bring in our parcel, we used to think and think and talk about how that huge chunk of chicken is hanging there or what could be that secret ingredient to make it so yummy! Never found an answer but all guesses were made...yoghurt, turmeric,chicken breast etc...

Finally, I found a source for it's recipe and I didn't let it go away!

CHICKEN SHAWARMA
Recipe slightly modified from Dede's

Ingredients:
2 boneless (skinless) chicken breasts,cut into strips
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup yoghurt
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp 7 spices ( I used 'curry powder' from the local grocery store)

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red chilli powder

1/8 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp Olive oil

Method:

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and let marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.  
• Heat 3 tbs olive oil, add chicken and let cook for 10 minutes until chicken browns, cook for an additional 2 minutes if necessary to brown.  

• To make sandwich, use pita bread, spread garlic sauce on pita, add chicken, kabees and pickles (you can add tomatoes and lettuce if desired). Roll sandwich and press in the grill press to make sandwich crispy for 3 minutes.  Enjoy with fries or salad. 

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD
Recipe source: Dede

Ingredients:
3 cups flour + 1 cup flour for kneading
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 packet yeast (7 grams or 1/4 oz)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
Olive oil

Method:

• In a small bowl mix yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  In a large bowl mix 3 cups flour with salt and make a well or whole in the middle.  Slowly stir in yeast mix and 1 cup warm water until well combined.
• In a large bowl add 1 tbs olive oil and spread all over to keep dough from sticking, place dough in oiled bowl, cover with a blanket, and let sit for 3 hours in a warm place.  After 3 hours and dough has risen, add flour on to table surface and knead dough for 10 minutes, add flour to surface to keep it from sticking.  Form dough into small balls and let sit in a plate for 10 minutes.  
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roll our balls to 1/8 inch thick and place on flat cookie sheet or pan, cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly brown and dough puffs up.

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The other topic of our discussion was...What could that 'white sauce' like garlic mayonnaise be? No clue! I used to think that they must have been diluting the garlic mayo or something like that...I even wanted to ask them for the recipe...but never did! I am glad I didn't , because, now I have the recipe to a much much better tasting garlic sauce too...trust me ...it is seriously addictive!

GARLIC SAUCE
Recipe source: Dede

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic minced with
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup lemon juice ( I added less than half a 1/4 cup and found that perfect. So add to your taste.)
1 egg white


Method:

• In a food processor add garlic minced with salt, begin processor and slowly add oil and lemon juice alternating them until gone, scape down sides intermittently.  
• Add one to two egg whites while the processor is blending until you reach mayonnaise consistency.  Serve with chicken or meat and cover and refrigerate remainder. 
• Lasts about a week refrigerated. 

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It's very easy for me to find Tahini in stores here, but what's the fun in buying it when you can make it at home with just 2 ingredients? So, I decided to do it from scratch, just like all the other stuff that you just saw now :-)

HOMEMADE TAHINI  
Recipe source: Dede

Ingredients: 

2 cups sesame seeds

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F) and spread out sesame seeds on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 4-5 mins, do not let them brown.
• Pour seeds into a food processer and add the vegetable oil and blend the seeds to a nice smooth paste.
• Store in an air tight container in refrigerator.

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This is one of the best ways to use the Tahini...obviously everyone knows what that is! Hummus! This one is really a garlic-y one...my kinda stuff!

HOMEMADE HUMMUS
Recipe source: Dede

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Yogurt
1 Can Garbanzo Beans "Chick Peas"
1/2 Cup Homemade Tahini
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Tsp of Salt
1/4 Tsp citric acid (if you need more lemon taste)
2 Tbs water (if too thick)
3-4 Fresh Mint Leaves (optional)
2 Tbs of Fresh Parsley
1 Tsp of Cayenne Pepper or Paprika
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

Method:

• Mix first 9 ingredients and blend until smooth and to desired thickness. 
• Garnish with parsley, cayenne pepper and olive oil.

 

Verdict: All we both can say is, it was just an AMAZING meal! We adore the Shawarma filling...it was just too perfect! The aroma when you cook the chicken is something you really need to experience. Loved the pita bread and hummus! I have tried making Pita before, which was delicious, but this one is much easier and tension- free ;-) [The life of a food blogger! ] It was a perfect, complete, happy meal! It was a bit extraa happy for me because I solved a big puzzle of how to make 'Cita Pani' shawarma at home :-)

Will I make it again? OBVIOUSLY, Yes!! :-D