Shawarma for vegans.
The recipe I used is adapted from NYT Cooking.
Ingredients:
Per ~4 servings.
For pickled onions:
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- pinch of salt
- pinch of sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
For tofu:
- 1 14oz block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- pinch of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of turmeric
- pinch of cinnamon
For the dressing:
I ate my bowl with some vegan greek yogurt (KiteHill brand), though you can also make a tahini dressing using the ingredients below:
- 1/3 cup tahini
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- pinch of sugar
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 1 cup cucumbers, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- Drizzle of EVOO
For the rice:
- Cook around 1 cup of rice, adding some 2 cloves of mined garlic and 1 teaspoon of turmeric in the cooking water. I used medium-grain rice.
Instructions:
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In a small container with a lid, combine all the ingredients for the pickled onions, ensuring that everything is coated evenly. Seal the lid and set aside.
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Send your tofu to jail (the tofu press). Very important to get all the water out for this recipe!
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Once drained, slice the tofu lengthwise into thin coins. Transfer to a bowl or sheet pan. Add the soy sauce and coat evenly. Add the cornstarch and black pepper, and coat evenly.
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Heat a wide pan on the stove with the oil. Add the tofu, one layer at a time, and cook until it gets crispy on one side. Flip the tofu and crisp up the other side.
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Once all the tofu is cooked, transfer to a bowl and toss with the spices. Set aside.
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Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, if using. It’ll be thick at first - add water to thin it out a bit. I usually need to add around 1/4 cup water. Do a quick taste test and add more sugar, lemon, or salt if needed. Alternatively, you can use greek yogurt instead of dressing like I did.
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Combine all the ingredients for the salad and set aside.
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Create your bowls by adding some tofu, some salad, some rice, and some pickled onions. Drizzle with dressing or add a heap of greek yogurt. Enjoy!