Appetizer Shawarma Bowls

Total time is not inclusive of Marination & Resting of dough.

Appetizer Shawarma Bowls make fantastic Hors d’oeuvres. A quick party friendly, finger food version of Chicken Shawarma. The chicken filling may be replaced with beef as well.

The Recipe Intro has more pictures , more information as well as the Recipe Video. Don’t forget to check it out.

Ingredients:

Olive oil ( plus little for brushing)		3 Tbsp o
Oil - for frying the dough		As needed:
Diced onion		1/4 cup
Tomato, seeded and diced		1 medium
Fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped		1/2 cup
Grated cabbage		1/2 cup
Carrot, julienned		2 Tbsp

Dough for Shawarma Bowls:

Flour (all purpose) plus extra for dusting/ sprinkling		2 cups
Salt		1/4 tsp
Boiled (HOT) water		1/2 cup
Fresh ( room temperature ) water		1/4 - 1/2 cup

Filling:

Boneless chicken		300 gms
Coriander seeds		1 tsp
Cumin seeds		1/2 tsp
Cloves		2
Black peppercorns		1/2 tsp
Green Cardamom pods		3
Chilli powder ( paprika or cayenne)		3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder		1/8 tsp
Minced garlic		2 tsp
Lime juice		2 tsp
Thick yoghurt		2 Tbsp
Salt ( to taste)		1/2 tsp
Dried herb ( cilantro )		1 tsp
Minced onion		1 Tbsp

Instant Sauce:

Mayonnaise		3 Tbsp
Yoghurt		2 Tbsp
Minced garlic		1 tsp
Chilli powder		1/2  tsp
Cumin powder		1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Add the flour to a bowl. To this add the salt.
2. Pour in the boiled hot water. Stir briskly with a wooden spoon till the hot water warms the flour evenly, moistening it.
3. Once the flour is evenly moistened and warm – Add the fresh water (1/4 cup first) just enough to knead it to a soft dough. You can add upto 1/2 cup water, no more to make a nice soft dough. We don’t want the dough to be wet.
4. Knead for a good 5 minutes. Cover bowl with cling wrap and set aside for 20-30 minutes, while you prepare and marinate the filling.
5. Once the dough has rested for the amount of time, roll the dough into an armlength cylinder shape. Use a dough cutter or knife to cut into 12 equal portions.
6. Now take 2 portions at a time. Pat gently into small circles.
7. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Add a few drops of olive oil on one circle and sprinkle flour. Place the second circle on top and roll the sandwich out into a small tortilla. Rolling two at a time, like this saves time. A sprinkling of flour and drops of olive oil between the two circles makes it easy to peel them apart after rolling.  Don’t make the circles too big. Roll out the 12 small tortillas in this way.
8. Heat a griddle pan. Lightly grease with olive oil, using a brush or kitchen paper.
9. Place 2-3 rolled out tortillas at a time on to the hot griddle.
10. Cook about 20 seconds per side, just till you see a few bubbles. Don’t cook too long. They will not be fully cooked. We need them undercooked and slightly raw, as they finish cooking later when we fry them into a bowl shape. Fully cooked tortillas will be harder to shape and will not produce the same results when fried.
11. Once the chicken shawarma filling is cooked and ready, fry the shawarma bowls, as they need to be freshly cooked when serving.

Filling:

1. Cut the boneless chicken ( breast) into small strips. Pat dry with kitchen paper towel to remove any water. Add to a bowl.
2. Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom to a grinder. Grind to a fine powder.
3. Use a strainer ( to remove any skin of cardamom )and add the powder to the chicken.
4. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, minced garlic, lime juice, yoghurt, salt, dried cilantro, and minced onion.
5. Use your hands to rub all the marinade ingredients into the strips of chicken, to get the juices of onion, garlic, and lime, combined with spices and yoghurt really coat the chicken well.
6. Set aside to marinate while you roll out and cook the tortillas halfway on the griddle.
7. Add and heat 3 Tbsp olive oil to a nonstick wok or pan with deep edges.
8. To the hot oil, add the marinated chicken strips and stir-fry on HIGH heat, for 6-8 minutes, till the chicken is cooked tender, with slight char marks around the edges.
9. Turn off the heat, when chicken is done. Add the diced onion, tomato, cilantro, cabbage and carrot, and toss through. The filling is ready. Fry the ‘bowls’ after the chicken filling is cooked.

Continue frying the Bowls and Assemble:

1. Heat oil in a small sized wok, just enough for frying the bowls.
2. Use a steel strainer to shape your tortillas into a bowl shape. Place the ‘least cooked side’ of the prepared tortilla facing down – into the strainer. Press along the edged of the strainer to creat the bowl/cup shape. Use either another strainer or slotted spoon, slightly less small than the first strainer to press down on the top side of the tortilla.
3. Lower the tortilla along with both strainers into the hot oil. Press down so that the bottom of the strainer touches the bottom of the wok. The top will not be submerged fully in oil. Tilt the strainers to both sides, so that the edges of the ‘bowl’ get fried also. Fry about 30 seconds only on moderate heat. Don’t fry too long, or they will burn on the bottom. The bowls will puff up from the top, Press down with the top strainer, to keep the shape.
4. Once the bottom fries up, it sets into shape. Repeat with all ‘bowls’ like this. Place on kitchen paper to drain excess oil. They should  be crispy crunchy on bottom and edges.
5. Add 2-3 Tbsp of filling ( make sure the filling is warm ). To each bowl and top with sauce.
6. Add all ingredients for the quick sauce, into a zipper bag and shake to mix nicely. Cut a tiny hole in the corner to create  a piping bag. Pipe a little of the sauce over the filling in each bowl. Serve while warm and the bowls are crisp.

Appetizer Shawarma Bowls

Notes:

Key Ingredients: Dough, Chicken, Spices, Garlic, Onions, Tomato, Cilantro(Coriander), Yoghurt, Lime, Oil, Mayonnaise, Salt, 

EAT AND TELL!!! Let us know if you tried –  Appetizer Shawarma Bowls

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