Mumbai-style chicken shawarma is a unique Indian street food featuring tender, juicy chicken with distinctive garlic sauce, spicy sauce, pickled vegetables, and charred marks. This recipe combines tandoori-style flavors with Mumbai's signature sauces for an authentic homemade version.
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1
Prepare the chicken: slice the chicken breast into medium-thickness pieces. Keep the thighs whole. Add both types of chicken to a large bowl.
2
Season the chicken: add salt to taste. Using clean hands, massage the seasoning evenly into the chicken, ensuring proper marination.
3
Cook the chicken breast: heat a pan over medium heat and add oil. Cook the breast pieces on one side until charred marks appear, then flip and cook until done. Avoid frequent flipping to retain moisture.
4
Cook the chicken thighs: cook using the same method as the breast, but allow approximately double the cooking time. Cook until both sides are well-charred and fully cooked.
5
Rest the chicken: transfer all cooked chicken to a bowl, cover, and rest for 5-10 minutes to retain juices.
6
Slice the chicken: using a sharp knife, cut the rested chicken into thin strips, ensuring each slice has charred edges and a juicy center.
7
Make garlic sauce: add 1 cup mayonnaise to a bowl. Grate or mince 4 garlic cloves and add to the mayo. Mix in 0.5 tsp vinegar, 2 tbsp yogurt, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Stir until well combined.
8
Prepare spicy sauce ingredients: place 60g garlic, 60g green chillies, and 35g ginger into a food chopper and chop finely until evenly minced.
9
Make chilli paste: mix 3 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder with 0.5-1 cup water, stirring until smooth and lump-free.
10
Cook the spicy sauce: add a generous amount of oil to a pot and heat. Add the chopped garlic, green chillies, and ginger, then cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until cooked through but not browned.
11
Finish the spicy sauce: add the chilli paste to the pot. Season with salt to taste, 0.5 tsp white pepper powder, a pinch of sugar, and a splash of water. Continue cooking over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until oil separates from the sauce.
12
Finalize the spicy sauce: once oil has completely separated, add 1 tsp vinegar and stir well. Turn off the heat and let cool.
13
Prepare vegetables for pickling: cut 2 medium carrots and 1 large beetroot into long sticks. Split 10 green chillies down the middle.
14
Make pickling liquid: combine 1 cup vinegar, 0.5 cup water, 5 tbsp sugar, and 0.5 tsp salt in a pot. Heat until sugar dissolves completely. Turn off heat and let cool slightly to warm.
15
Pickle the vegetables: add all prepared vegetables to the warm pickling liquid. Transfer the vegetables and liquid into an airtight glass jar, ensuring all vegetables are submerged. Label with the date.
16
Prepare additional toppings: shred the cabbage. Fry the french fries until golden and drain.
17
Assemble the shawarma: take a pita bread and lightly toast it over direct flame until soft. Spread garlic sauce on the bread. Add the sliced chicken, a small amount of spicy sauce, pickled vegetables, shredded cabbage, and french fries. Wrap and serve.
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