Mushroom shawarma
40 MINUTES | SERVES 6 EASY |
This is a stunning kebab recipe which also happens to be vegan, as the toum sauce is made without egg. Toum is an incredibly potent Lebanese garlic condiment which is not for the faint hearted (this recipe makes about twice as much as you’ll need). If you’re not vegan or just want something milder, try stirring a little crushed garlic through natural yogurt or mayonnaise.
800g,
large flat mushrooms stalks trimmed
pittas 6 large, warmed on the barbecue SHAWARMA SPICE MIX
cumin seeds 11/2 tbsp
black peppercorns 2 tsp
coriander seeds 1 tsp
fennel seeds 1 tsp
fenugreek seeds Ω tsp
cloves cinnamon stick Ω
cardamom pods 3
paprika (not smoked) 1 tbsp
sea salt flakes 1 tbsp
olive oil 200ml
TOUM
garlic 1Ω bulbs, cloves peeled
flavourless oil (such as vegetable or groundnut) 300ml
lemon juice 2 tbsp TARRAGON SALAD
pomegranate molasses 1Ω tbsp
red wine vinegar 1 tbsp
caster sugar a pinch
olive oil 2 tbsp
tarragon 50g, woody stalks removed
rocket 50g
• Toast all the whole spices in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Grind to a powder and mix with the paprika, sea salt and olive oil. Brush the mushrooms all over with this spice paste, making sure to get into the gills too. Leave to marinate while you make the toum.
• Purée the garlic and a good pinch of salt in a blender or small food processer, making sure it’s a well blended paste and no chunks of garlic remain. With the motor running, very slowly pour in 100ml of the oil, followed by 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Repeat this until the lemon juice is used up, then continue, replacing the lemon juice with 2 tbsp of iced water until all the oil is incorporated.
• Light the barbecue. Make the dressing for the tarragon salad by whisking together the molasses, vinegar, sugar, olive oil and some salt and pepper.
• When the barbecue is ready, thread the mushrooms onto skewers (about six to eight per skewer) – if you can, use two skewers per set of mushrooms as it will make them easier to turn. Cook over direct heat with the lid on for 15-20 minutes, turning often, or until cooked through.
• Combine the dressing with the tarragon and rocket. Slice the mushrooms and serve with the salad, toum and pittas.
PER SERVING 880 KCALS | FAT 65G SATURATES 10.7G | CARBS 54.9G | SUGARS 6.8G FIBRE 6.6G | PROTEIN 15.6G | SALT 3.5G
• Light the barbecue. Drain the peaches, reserving the juice, and slice into thick wedges. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and chillies to the peach juice and stir to dissolve. Pour over the peach wedges and leave to sit.
• Mix the yogurt with the thyme, lemon juice, the chopped chipotles and some of their sauce (add more or less to suit your taste). Season with salt.
• Skewer the halloumi cubes or just put slices directly on the hot barbecue. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden. Serve with the pickled peaches, chipotle yogurt and flatbreads.
COOK’S NOTES
Chipotles in adobo are smoked jalapeño peppers stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt and spices. They are available from ocado.com and specialist Mexican food websites.