Table of Contents
- With this beautiful blend of spices, you can experience the flavours of shawarma at home
- Where does Shawarma originate from?
- What makes shawarma taste like shawarma?
- What is shawarma seasoning made of?
- Other spices used in shawarma
- Similar recipes found on flaevor.com
- Recipe: Shawarma Spice Blend
With this beautiful blend of spices, you can experience the flavours of shawarma at home
Shawarma is the Arabic word for a dish of thin slices of meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone, then slowly roasted in its own juicy fat on a rotating vertical spit (or skewer).
Where does Shawarma originate from?
Shawarma is thought to have originated in the Ottoman Empire and was originally made with lamb or mutton. Due to its popularity and movement to countries such as Syria, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and other Levantine countries, shawarma is now often made with chicken, turkey, beef or veal.
What makes shawarma taste like shawarma?
Shawarma meat is given its distinctive flavour by a delicious blend of spices rubbed over the meat and left to marinate for many hours. The spread of shawarma across the Middle East means that the spice mixes now vary widely, with each country adding its own unique blend.
What is shawarma seasoning made of?
One of the main reasons people love shawarma so much is due to its warm and earthy flavour profile. Ingredients that make up a shawarma spice blend include cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, paprika, ginger, garlic and onion.
Other spices used in shawarma
Some mixes contain more local ingredients such as sumac and black lime, which add a bright, tangy flavour. This tangy flavour is also achieved through the use of lemon juice. This is an important ingredient in a shawarma recipe, especially during the marinating process.
Similar recipes found on flaevor.com
Recipe: Shawarma Spice Blend
Shawarma Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cumin seeds, or 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, or 1.5 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns, or 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and dry roast green and black cardamon (as well as cumin seeds and coriander seeds if using the seeds rather than the pre-prepared powder). Gently toss seeds around the pan until fragrant.
- Transfer seeds along with all other ingredients to a small grinder or pestle & mortar and grind into a powder.
- Store in an airtight jar somewhere cool and preferably dark for up to 1 month.
