Homemade Meat Shawarma with homemade pickled cucumbers and homemade raw tahini

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Shawarma

1. 1
   Coat the slices of the meat in a mixture of the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, hot paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, salt and black pepper, cover and marinate in the fridge at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

   BowlRefrigerator
2. 2
   Heat a heavy pan over high heat.

   StoveFrying pan
3. 3
   Add the meat and fry 4–6 minutes in two batches, in a scorching pan, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.

   StoveFrying pan

   💡Sear in batches in a scorching pan: a crowded pan cools down, and the chicken steams instead of browning.

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
4. 4
   Thin the raw tahini with water and the rest of the lemon juice until it becomes a sauce.

   Bowl
5. 5
   Heat a dry pan over medium heat, and warm the pita in it.

   StoveFrying pan
6. 6
   Grind the sesame seeds in a powerful blender about 3 minutes, until smooth paste forms.

   Blender

   💡At first the sesame looks like dry crumbs: keep grinding, scraping down the sides, and after a few minutes it releases its oil and turns liquid.

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
7. 7
   Taste and adjust the seasoning.
8. 8
   Wash the cucumbers and arrange them in a clean jar, upright and tightly packed, with the garlic and dill between them.

   Jar

   💡Fresh, firm cucumbers, tightly packed and completely covered with water: a cucumber sticking out of the water softens and grows mold.
9. 9
   Dissolve the salt in the water and pour over the cucumbers until they are completely covered.
10. 10
    Close and leave at room temperature for 3–7 days, until the cucumbers turn olive green and are as sour as you like.

    💡Taste the water after a day: it should be as salty as seawater. Add salt or water as needed.
11. 11
    Move to the fridge: the cold stops the fermentation.

    Refrigerator
12. 12
    Spread in the pita the tahini, arrange in it the shawarma and the tomatoes, red onion and pickles, roll up and serve immediately.