DIY At Home Shawarma (aka Fake Lazeez)
When I’m at school I love to get Shawarma from a chain called Lazeez. I discovered this glorious chain (which is conveniently located around the corner from my home!) last year and it’s been an epic love affair ever since.
About halfway through last year, I got my friend Eryn hooked on Lazeez too, but, being broke students, it wasn’t exactly feasible for us to eat out all the time (even though we could both literally eat Lazeez every day). To save our budgets and fill the Lazeez-shaped holes in our hearts (lol) I set out to make shawarma at home, or as Eryn and I like to call it, “fake Lazeez”.
Pretty well every time I saw Eryn and Lauren this summer we went for Shawarma. There is nothing quite as satisfying as a falafel shawarma, in my personal opinion. The recipe I wrote below is served over rice, but the rice can easily be omitted and replaced by a wrap if that fits your fancy. You’re going to want to make the pickled veggies a day in advance to get the most flavour. I know this seems a bit tedious, but honestly it really isn’t and the result is worth it. I love to make extra pickled veggies to keep in the fridge to add to salads, bowls, tacos, etc throughout the week. The chickpeas also require a little love in advance. I like to soak my chickpeas the night before and also my rice, simply because I find that it cooks much more nicely when it’s been soaked.
Happy Shawarmaing! π
xx
Ashley
Ingredients
Falafels
- 1 cup dried chickpea, soaked overnight
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 shallot
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, leaves picked
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- oil, for frying
Pickled Veggies
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 small turnips, cut into match sticks
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, divided
- 2 cups white vinegar
Rice
- 1 cup brown rice, soaked overnight
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Garlic Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup mayo (use vegan mayo for vegan version)
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt (use vegan alternative for vegan version)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
To Serve
- olives
- fresh cilantro and parsley
- chopped cucumber
- cherry tomatoes
- Hummus
Instructions
The Night Before
- Soak the chickpeas and rice in separate bowls.
- Prepare the pickled veggies by thinly slicing the onion and cutting the turnip into match sticks. Place the prepared veggies into two separate jars with 1/2 teaspoon of peppercorns in each. Bring the water and maple syrup to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once simmering, remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies until covered. Seal the jars and place in the fridge to pickle overnight.
Rice
- Drain and rinse the rice. Add the oil to a large pot and add the rice. Gently fry for a minute or two and then add the vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes or until all the broth has been absorbed.
Falafels
- While the rice is cooking, drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Place all of the falafel ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 80 times, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Measure 3 tablespoons of the falafel mix, then use your hands to form into a patty. Repeat this process with the remainder of the falafel mix.
- Heat about an inch or so of oil in a deep frying pan. I like to use my cast iron pan for this. Once the oil is simmering, add about 4-5 falafels to the pan (depending on the size of your pan). Fry until golden brown on all sides, flipping after about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the patties from the oil and place on a plate with paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
Garlic Sauce
- Add all the sauce ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Extra sauce will keep in an air-tight jar in the fridge for a week.
To Serve
- Serve your falafels with rice, pickled veggies, chopped cucumber, olives, cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, hummus and garlic sauce. These are my favourite toppings, but you can change it up to your liking π
