Vegan Shawarma in a Flash
Many years ago, when I was a poor student, I lived in Germany in a small town near the Dutch border.
I worked outdoors most of the day, so I had to take care of my own lunch.
Since I didn't have much money, most of my lunches were based on the Turkish shawarma stalls (doner kebab).
For one and a half euros, I would eat a huge portion of Turkish shawarma in a large pita, with the fat dripping onto the pavement of a city square.
I think I used to eat a portion of shawarma almost every day.
No wonder that after a few months, it seemed I slowly turned into shawarma myself.
A small belly grew, and small pimples began to adorn my face.
I looked and felt terrible.
When I returned to Israel, I stopped eating street shawarma (and also animal products), my belly returned to its previous state, and the Mediterranean sun did wonders for my facial skin.
Since then, every time I pass a shawarma stand, I recall with dread my impoverished time in Germany.
Nevertheless, I still love to make vegan shawarma at home today, which is undoubtedly the healthier version of this Turkish dish.
A little about the recipe:
The base of the recipe is tofu that I grated, but you can substitute the same amount of seitan for the tofu.
To add a little crunch to the juiciness, I add half a fried onion. I really think you shouldn't skip it, but if you insist, I'm not responsible.
I get the shawarma flavor from a shawarma spice blend I bought at the supermarket. If you can't find it or want to make it yourself, you can substitute with half a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon of paprika, half a teaspoon of turmeric, a pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
The result will be similar.
I love to devour the shawarma with a 50g whole wheat tortilla, a fresh vegetable salad, a tablespoon of tahini, and a little bit of spice.
Don't forget the spice
Nutritional values by Clinical Dietitian and Fitness Trainer: Noam Bachar
A 70g serving of vegan shawarma will contain:
139 calories
8 grams protein (of which 2 grams saturated fat)
4 grams carbohydrates
10 grams fat
An additional tablespoon of tahini will contain:
100 calories
4 grams protein
2 grams carbohydrates
9 grams fat (of which 2 grams fat)
An additional whole wheat tortilla or whole wheat pita weighing 50 grams will contain:
130 calories
5 grams protein
27 grams carbohydrates
3 grams fat
Do you have more tofu left? How about carrot soup with roasted tofu cubes?
Vegan Shawarma
Ingredients
- 150 grams tofu
- 1/2 onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon shawarma spice blend
Instructions
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Grate the tofu on the coarse side of a grater.
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Chop the onion and fry with the olive oil for a few minutes until golden.
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Add the grated tofu and mix well.
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Add the shawarma spice blend and mix well.
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Serve in a warm pita with vegetable salad, tahini, and hot sauce.
