Chicken shawarma with advieh
Advieh, an aromatic Iranian spice mixture, adds flavour, warmth and a floral aroma to chicken thighs in this crowd-pleasing shawarma for four
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 3tbsp advieh, plus a pinch to serve
- 5 ½tsp smoked paprika
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 4tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2tsp caster sugar
- 6garlic cloves, minced
- 200g greek yogurt, plus 2 tbsp
- 750g chicken thigh fillets, skinless
- 10g mint, finely chopped
- 2tbsp lemon juice, plus 1 tsp of zest
- flatbreads, pickled vegetables and Turkish chillies, to serve
Instructions
Step 1
If your advieh contains whole dried rose petals and spices, first grind to a fine powder. Put it in a large bowl with the paprika, oil and vinegar. Mix well into a paste.Step 2
Mix in the sugar, two-thirds of the garlic, 2 tbsp of yogurt and 2½ tsp of fine sea salt. Add the chicken thighs and smother with the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge for 4 hrs or overnight.Step 3
Heat the oven to 205C/185C fan/gas 6 and remove the chicken from the fridge to bring to room temperature. Using two skewers, pierce the chicken through each side of the thighs – packing down to form a large kebab. Put onto a wire-racked baking sheet and cook for 50-55 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Finish under a hot grill or on top of a barbecue for 1-2 mins if you want a charred finish.Step 4
For the sauce, mix together the remaining yogurt and garlic, mint, lemon juice and zest, and ½ tsp of salt. Toast the flatbreads, smother with the yogurt sauce and shawarma. Serve with pickles and chillies, and finish with a sprinkle of advieh.