Lebanese Shawarma Pickle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are shawarma pickles made of? ›

You know those pink pickles you find at Middle Eastern restaurants served with your shawarma or chicken kabobs? They're pickled turnips, and they get their bright pink color from beets! For those of you that have never had pickled turnips before, you're in for a treat!

Mixed pickles are a common appearance on Lebanese tables, wraps and plates. They add a tart punch and can be paired with almost anything. Fermented mixed pickles are fat-free, low in calories and like labneh, contain healthy good bacteria which promote the body's gut health.

Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips (Pink Pickles!)

I love them for brunch with some boiled eggs and labneh, chopped and sprinkled onto salads, and stuffed into pita sandwiches with falafel or shawarma.

Shawarma was traditionally made with lamb, mutton and chicken though these days you see it with beef too. It's commonly served in the form of a wrap, though in some countries you see it served on plates with sides such as seasoned rice or fries, and salads.

Shawarma is all about the delicious sauces that accompany the meat – typically garlic yoghurt or tahini and hommus – and the secret ingredient: pickles. Pickled vegetables are what take shawarma to a whole new plane: pickled cucumbers, turnips, and even carrots or mangoes are common.

“The pickles that are beneficial for your gut health are the fermented ones, made by brining them in salt rather than vinegar,” says Dr. Oppezzo. “While vinegar pickling is a common method, true fermentation in brine enriches them with beneficial probiotics for your gut.

If you're on a low-sodium diet, pickles should not be consumed on a regular basis, says Zumpano. People with high blood pressure, heart failure, or kidney or liver disease should only enjoy pickles as a once-in-a-while treat, says Largeman-Roth. Always talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Liver and kidney stress

Eating too much sodium can cause your kidneys and liver to work harder. Also, the high blood pressure that often follows diets high in sodium puts even more stress on these organs. As a result, eating too many pickles may be risky for anyone with liver disease or kidney conditions.

People love shawarma because of how meaty it is while still being a healthy food to eat. The way the meat is grilled indeed added to that undeniably great taste. Moreover, it contains various vegetables and sauces and can be eaten in multiple ways. That gives people its authentic taste and unique experience.

What is the "white sauce" on NYC falafel or shawarma? That's tahini, which is made of ground sesame seeds. The sauce is tahini, lemon or lime juice, garlic, and water.

Why does shawarma taste like cinnamon? ›

Shawarma is traditionally seasoned with spices like cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika to create a sweet-spiced, warm, and earthy flavor profile in the roasted meat.

Pickling Using a Vinegar Brine - Using a basic mixture of vinegar, water & salt creates a brine that food can be pickled in.

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.

Quick pickling, or refrigerator pickling, involves a simple boil-and-pour method of pickling. You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together.

Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern meal that is made from marinated meat, such as lamb, beef, and chicken. It is one of the world's most popular street foods, especially in Egypt, and is now a staple at most Middle Eastern restaurants. Shawarma is a mouth-watering meal that is sure to please food and meat lovers.

Tag: Middle Eastern pickles

On a counter in every kitchen, batch after batch of pickles would be were fermented in a jar whose brine was seldom thrown out, although I would guess that salt was added from time to time. In a 2-quart jar, mix the cauliflower, caraway, garlic, bay, beet, and hot peppers.

In American supermarkets you'll usually find the longer type of cucumbers or the full-of-bumps gherkins, but Mediterranean pickles are made with smooth-skin and shorter cucumbers (what's “short”? well, more like a small-medium sized zucchini). To have the best pickles ever, choose the smallest cucumbers you can find.

Pink turnip pickles are a delicious anti-inflammatory condiment, made with turnips and beets. A great gut healthy snack, and perfect with meals like chicken shawarma too! Vegan, paleo, and Whole30, too. Here on the CC blog, we talk a lot about reducing inflammation and gut healthy foods.