With this beautiful blend of spices, you can experience the flavours of shawarma at home
Shawarma is the Arabic word used to describe thin cuts of meat stacked into an inverted cone shape, then slowly roasted on a turning vertical rotisserie (or spit), basting in its own juicy fat.
Where does Shawarma originate from?
Shawarma is thought to have originated during the Ottoman Empire, originally made with lamb or mutton. Through its popularity and movement into countries such as Syria, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and other Levant countries, shawarma is now often made with chicken, turkey, beef, or veal.
What makes shawarma taste like shawarma?
Shawarma meat has a distinct taste due to a delicious spice blend rubbed over the meat and left to marinate for many hours. The spread of shawarma to the greater Middle East means spice mixes now vary widely, with each country adding its 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. Often that tangy flavour is created through the use of lemon juice, quite an important ingredient within a shawarma recipe, especially during marinating.
Chicken Shawarma Recipe
One of the best ways to use this shawarma spice blend is on chicken. For a delicious dinner at home, reminiscent of your favourite shawarma restaurant, try this Easy Oven Chicken Shawarma recipe, pictured above.
Like this recipe? Then you might also like these related recipes on flaevor.com
Shawarma Spice Blend
A warm earthy combination of spices perfect for roasted meat and vegetables
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 Minutes
- Yield: 1.5 – 2 tablespoons 1x
- Category: Spices
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
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.
Keywords: What is shawarma powder made of, where does shawarma spice come from, authentic shawarma seasoning recipe, authentic shawarma seasoning recipe for chicken, How to use shawarma spice mix
