Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma

This is easily one of my most favourite Rolls. I had been looking forever for the easiest recipe possible. I stumbled across one but somehow could not muster the courage to try it out. I was so sure that I would flop badly. The major hurdle was making that perfect lebanese sauce which I so love. Finally one day I decided to take the plunge. The first thing was the sauce. And I was so kicked when it turned out exactly like I had been relishing it for years. Next challenge was the chicken, because I did not have the rotesserie attached to my oven. But I came across a panfried recipe and it was superb, almost like the rotesserie version. Then the tortillas. Honestly, I'm still working to perfect that but this one is edible and quite nice. It works. The secret to an amazing Shawarma is the sauce, I've realised. Anyway, let's get on with another of my tried and tested recipes.

Chicken Stuffing

Ingredients

Chicken (boneless pieces) - 200 gms

Barbeque sauce – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Curd – 1 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Red chili powder – 1 tsp

Cumin (jeera) powder – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Method

Add all the ingredients except the chicken and prepare marination

Add the chicken to the marination and let it rest for 2 hours

Take oil in a non-stick pan and heat

Stir fry the chicken pieces on slow flame till cooked and crisp

Keep aside

Potato Wedges (filling)

Ingredients

Potato (medium sized) – 2

Method

Wash the potato well

Cut into wedges

Place in salt water for about 20 to 30 minutes

Squeeze out the water and keep in strainer

Smear non-stick pan with little oil and shallow fry the wedges on either sides till done

Keep aside

Pickled Veggies

Ingredients

Green chilies (slightly thicker variety – depending on your spice levels)

Cucumber (medium) – 1

Beetroot – 1 (cut into wedges)

Cabbage (finely cut) – ½ cup

Method

Soak the chilies and beet separately in vinegar for 2 days

Soak the cucumber slices in vinegar overnight

 Soak the cabbage slices in vinegar for a couple of hours

Drain out and keep aside

Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

Garlic cloves (big) – 8

Salt – ½ tsp

Lemon juice – ½ tbsp

Vegetable Oil – ½ cup

Egg white - 1

Method

Make a paste of garlic with salt

Add lemon juice (1/3 part) and blend

Add oil (1/3 part) and blend

Do this thrice and blend well each time till oil and lemon juice is over

It should form a thick emulsion

Add egg white and blend to form thick white sauce

Tortilla

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour – ¾ cup

Refined flour (maida) – 1 tbsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Sugar – ½ tsp

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Milk powder – ½ tsp

Ghee – ½ tsp

Warm water – as required

Oil – ¼ tsp

Method

Mix all the ingredients except water

Now slowly add water and knead to form a slightly stiff dough

Smear it with oil, cover with a cloth and keep in a warm place for 1 hour

Punch the dough and knead it a bit

Divide into two parts and roll out to form tortillas

Cook on a low flame in a non-stick pan till bubbles appear

Flip to the other side when done

It should be soft, don’t overcook it  

Assemble the Shawarma

Spread sauce liberally on the tortilla

Place the pickled vegetables and chilies

Place the chicken pieces and potato wedges over the veggies

Fold and secure with aluminum foil or cling wrap

Warm up the chicken and potato filling before you assemble

Serve sauce and pickled chilies on the side as per taste

Fresh Strawberry Brownies

Fresh Strawberry Brownies

My love for seasonal fruit based cakes continues. This is my last minute bid to enjoy strawberries. My apologies but if you can grab some strawberries from wherever, do try out this super simple recipe. It's a scrumptious and finger-licking cake especially if you are a strawberry lover. I have modified the recipe a bit to make it extremely simple. This is really a cross between a cobbler and crumble cake. Also, I was very rushed for time and wanted a really quick fix. So here we go! 

  

Ingredients

Whole-wheat flour – ½ cup

Oats – 2 tbsp

Jaggery (powdered) – ¾ cup

Butter (frozen) – ½ cup

Strawberries – 1 cup

Method

Grease a baking tray and line it with parchment paper

Line the bottom of the tray with strawberries

Mix flour and butter to form a crumbly mix

Add jaggery powder and mix

sprinkle this over the strawberry

Bake in a preheated oven (180 degrees C) for about 15 to 20 mins

Nutritional Benefits of Strawberries

Packed with vitamins, fiber, and particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols, strawberries are a sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie food

They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium

They protect your heart, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and lower your blood pressure

Jowar Cocoa Cookies

Jowar Cocoa Cookies

Now who can resist such a healthy guilt-free cookie especially if one is more health and fitness conscious than taste! Though I have to add that it has a nice taste and is a filling snack. The best part is it's a quick recipe if you keep your date paste ready. 

Ingredients

Jowar flour – 1 cup

Oats – ½ cup

Chickpea flour – 2 tbsp

Butter (frozen) -1/4 cup

Date paste – ¾ cup

Jaggery powder – ¼ cup
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp

Method

Mix the flours together

Add the butter to it to form a crumbly mix

Add the jaggery and date paste

Shape into cookies

Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C for about 20 mins

Enjoy with a steaming mug of tea or coffee

Health Benefits of Jowar

Gluten free

Anti-inflammatory

Boosts immunity

Improves heart health

Improves bone health

Fibre rich… improves digestion

Controls blood sugar level

Helps in weight loss

Rich source of phosphorus, calcium, protein and fibre

Iron and copper rich