Moroccan Style Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Shawarma is a popular food in our country.Moroccan Style Chicken Shawarma Recipe is easy to make, but you'll need to mix the ingredients ahead of time to allow for overnight or all-day marinating.Enjoy the recipe..

Ingredients: 

1.  ----- For the Poultry -----

• 2 lbs. (about 1 kg) chicken or turkey breast fillets, very thinly sliced 
• 1/2 cup plain, unflavored yogurt 
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Ras El Hanout 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

    2. ----- Optional Yogurt Sauce ----- 

• 1 cup plain, unflavored yogurt 
• 2 tablespoons tahini 
•  2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, pressed 
• salt, to taste

   3. ----- Optional Toppings ----- 

• mayonnaise 
• shredded lettuce 
• chopped or sliced tomatoes 
• slivered red onion 
• chopped cucumber 
• chopped olives 
• minced chili peppers

Preparation: 

Ahead of Time 

• Marinate the Chicken: Cut the chicken or turkey fillets into thin strips. (Note: You could opt to leave the meat in fillets, and cut into strips after cooking, but doing so now will allow the meat to absorb more flavor from the marinade.) In a large bowl, combine the yogurt with the lemon juice, garlic and spices. Add the chicken or turkey strips and stir to ensure that all the meat is well-coated. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil (you don't want the odor of garlic transferring to other food) and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least six hours. 

• Make the Yogurt Sauce: In a bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed. 

Cook the Chicken or Turkey 

• I prefer to grill the meat using a grill basket over very hot coals, but you can pan-fry in batches instead. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. When it begins to smoke, add a tablespoon or two of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add a generous handful of the marinated chicken strips and quickly fry, stirring several times, just until done. (Don't overcook or you'll dry out the meat). Repeat with the remaining chicken. 

Assemble the Shawarma 

• Stuff or wrap the cooked chicken in pita bread with your choice of toppings and a dollop of yogurt sauce. If desired, press the sandwich in a panini machine before serving.

Moroccan Chicken Recipe with Potatoes and Olives

This chicken tajine recipe is Morocco's second most popular dish.. Enjoy Moroccan Chicken Recipe with Potatoes and Olives.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken, skinned and cut into pieces 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed 
• 2 teaspoons ginger 
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 
• 1 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon (optional) 
•  1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled (optional) 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro 
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs. (about 1 kg) potatoes 
• 1/2 cup red or violet olives 
• 1 preserved lemon, quartered and seeds removed

Preparation: 

Traditional Tagine :

• Slice the onion instead of chopping it, and spread the onion slices on the bottom of a large tagine. Reduce the quantity of potatoes to 1 1/2 lbs. Peel the potatoes, thinly slice them, and layer them on top of the onions. 

•  In a large bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, spices, and parsley. Add the chicken to the tagine, flesh side down. Swirl 1/2 cup of water in the bowl to mix it with the spices, and add this water to the tagine. Pour the olive oil over all, and distribute the olives (and preserved lemon, if using) over the chicken and potatoes. 

• Cover the tagine and place it on a diffuser over medium-low to medium heat. Allow the tagine ample time to reach a simmer, and then reduce the heat to the lowest temperature necessary to maintain the simmer. Interrupt the cooking after 1 hour and 15 minutes to turn the chicken flesh side up. Continue cooking, covered, for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the chicken and potatoes are very tender. Let the tagine rest off the heat for about 15 minutes before serving.