An unsolicited rant about pita and portion sizes
Recipe: Mushroom Shawarma Pitas
Hiya!
So those of you who knew me in my mid-twenties know that my diet consisted mainly of alcohol, bad life choices, and doner kebabs. I should be more ashamed of this, but I'm not, because there are honestly very few things in life more satisfying than stumbling to the nearest kebab shop after a heavy night out and getting a mixed doner on the way home (if I even made it home!)
This week's recipe for Mushroom Shawarma Pitas is therefore, a middle-aged (is 30 considered middle-aged?) ode to my younger, thinner, funner, more reckless self.
It has all the flavours of a dirty late-night kebab with the coriander seeds, cumin and paprika spice mixture, and is every bit as satisfying too. The bonus here is that it's full of colourful, gorgeous veggies which makes this a feast for your eyes and your gut. And even if you made this with meat (I've suggested alterations below in case shrooms aren't your thing), it's still decidedly guilt-free.
Before we dive in, I need to clarify that even though I love this recipe, I have a lot to say about it and think that there are several things you can do to make it even better, so please bear with.
First things first, let's get this straight: this recipe serves two or three people, NOT four. No one I know (and probably you too, if you're reading this) can just have one of these shawarmas, so portion two of these shawarmas for each person you're serving this to – maybe even three each if they're hungry. It really annoys me when recipes underestimate how many portions it can make because it makes me feel like a greedy piglet and I don't need my recipes throwing casual shade at my portion sizes TYVM.
Speaking of things that annoy me: store-bought pita bread (if you intend on making your own then feel free to skip this bit). They're often tiny, far too crumbly, and the pocket almost always rips when you're trying to fill it. And even if it doesn't rip, you're only going to fit a tiny amount of fillings in, which means the whole pita-to-filling ratio is completely off! So please boycott store-bought pita. Get flatbread instead (like I’ve done). Or get tortilla wraps. Hell, get hard taco shells if you’d like, but whatever you do, JUST. DON'T. USE. STORE-BOUGHT. PITA.
Alright, unsolicited pita-related rant over – back to the recipe.
So while the salad-y part of the recipe does make about four shawarmas, the mushroomy bit only makes two. So don't forget to double up on the volume of portobello / large-cap mushrooms in the recipe.
I've also previously made this with meat, and the spice mixture in the recipe goes absolutely fab with thinly-sliced lamb (no need for the expensive stuff). Just remember to double up on the lamb too i.e. just buy the same weight of lamb as you would if you were making this with mushrooms. I know it sounds odd to buy the same weight of lamb as mushrooms, but I've found that by the time they both shrink down from being blasted in the oven they end up becoming a very similar amount so you can portion them out accordingly.
Now, the turmeric yoghurt. I personally quite like the zealously zingy, enthusiastic warmth that turmeric yoghurt brings to this party. But I get that it might be a bit too intense for some people, in which case, feel free to swap out the turmeric for smoked paprika which will offer a light smokiness and oddly a bit of sweetness too (even though it's not actually sweet). The only advice I'd give is to go light on the yoghurt dressing when plating up, and add on more while you eat because you don't want the yoghurt to drown out all of the luscious smokiness and earthiness of the mushrooms / lamb.
For the red cabbage, do yourself a favour and slice this very thinly (almost as if you were making coleslaw) and really massage it thoroughly with the salt and pepper. And I don't mean massage it like you would a fragile, bony grandparent. I mean massage it like it's someone you dislike so that you break down the tough bits and allow the salt to really permeate into the cabbage. This also releases excess moisture so that it ultimately becomes pleasantly crunchy, because after all, nobody likes obnoxiously crunchy salad. It also gets rid of that funky raw cabbage smell so it's a win-win all round – even for red cabbage skeptics!
I plate the shawarmas up before serving but you don't have to if you don't want to – you've already done the cooking so why not get everyone to make their own shawarmas like a middle-eastern fajita night! Maybe even call it a "Shawarmajita" night! 🤣
Get the full recipe here (you’ll need to sign up for free!) - I hope you enjoy this grown-up homemade shawarma recipe (best served alongside beer, wine and lowered inhibitions) and reminisce on nights out while you dine in.
See you for another issue of Forks & Chopstix in a couple of weeks!
x Mark
P.S. If you’re looking for more recipes to check out, why not these?
Vietnamese Bun Cha with Beef or Tofu
Slow-Roasted Gochujang Chicken with the works
Or follow me on Instagram for more: @forksandchopstix