Chicken shawarma, the beloved late-night wrap chosen by many party-goers across the world, has been popularised by the Middle Eastern diaspora communities from New York to Berlin. The most widely recognised dish of the Levant is consumed on an industrial scale, and offers a cheap and quick snack for any occasion. When shifting to a plant-based diet, classic and familiar comforts can often be sacrificed, however this recipe series aims to show that traditional Middle Eastern dishes can be veganised. It’s important to remember that meat has been an essential part of the Middle Eastern diet for centuries, and we should avoid the whitewashing of history and culture when adopting a plant-based lifestyle. 

Recreating classic dishes like chicken shawarma is often impossible without the use of a meat substitute product, and this recipe uses shop-bought seitan. If unable to purchase seitan, you can use any other form of meat substitute (microprotein, soya, or an extra-firm tofu) or make your own seitan using this simple recipe at home. Although these meat alternatives are highly processed food products, they are protein-rich and are lower in fat than chicken.

Recipe 

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

For the ‘chicken’:

1kg of seitan, sliced

4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon of smoked paprika

2 teaspoons of pink Himalayan salt

2 teaspoons of ground black pepper=

For the garlic sauce:

½ cup garlic cloves, peeled

1 ½ cups canola oil 

½ lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dried mint (optional)

For the chilli sauce:

2 tablespoons Sriracha (preferably the Flying Goose brand)

1 teaspoon of tomato puree 

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Pinch salt to taste

To serve:

6 khobez wraps 

Finely sliced iceberg lettuce

Finely sliced tomatoes

150g pickled turnip

6 pickled mild green chillies (optional)

Method

Begin by preheating your oven to 220c and line a large baking tray with greaseproof baking paper. 

In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced seitan with oil and spices and leave to one side. Allow the seitan to marinate for 20-30 mins. 

Spread the seitan on the lined baking tray and roast for 25 minutes or until slightly crispy and golden brown. 

Whilst the seitan is cooking, prepare the garlic sauce by creating an emulsion between the garlic cloves, canola oil, and lemon juice. 

Place the garlic cloves and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. 

Slowly drizzle in ½ cup of the canola oil, then a teaspoon of the lemon juice. 

Alternate between ½ cup of oil and one teaspoon of lemon juice until the sauce resembles a mayonnaise-like consistency. Add the dried mint (optional) and set aside until serving. You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to one week. 

To make the chilli sauce, simply mix the Sriracha with the tomato puree, white wine vinegar, and salt and set aside. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and will last for up to one week. 

To serve, warm up the khobez bread in the oven for one minute and top with the seitan ‘chicken’, garlic sauce, chilli sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.