Look anywhere in the city, you are sure to spot one outlet selling shawarma. However most outlets have made some tweaks to the recipes so the shawarma can suit the Malayali palate. However, Wah Turk, the recently started food outlet located at Kumaranasan Nagar in Kadavanthra, offers shawarma made close to the original Turkish style, using authentic ingredients.
Started by Suhail Shajahan, a chef and food consultant for the past four years, this venture is just nine months old. “Though there are many food outlets in the city selling shawarma, the authenticity is often compromised. Wah Turk focuses on authentic shawarma in the Turkish style. Also, we have chosen bread that is healthy for the customers. It’s not the kuboos, but Saj bread,” shares Suhail.
If you are craving for some shawarma with fresh flavours, then ‘Signature chicken shawarma’, their hot-seller, is the best option. It is made using Saj bread a thick version of rumali roti. With the first bite, you can embark on a gastronomic journey. The hot, crispy and juicy chicken chunks, lettuce, fresh fries and the four freshly prepared in-house sauces makes it a special bite.
The meat is marinated with turkish special masalas and herbs. Toum a garlic mayonnaise made in Arabian style is used as a sauce in shawarma. Mainly, lettuce, chicken chunks and french fries are used for preparing the shawarma filling.
“However, we also customise the filling according to the customer’s needs. Sometimes cucumber and baby tomatoes are also used,” says Suhail. Apart from ‘signature chicken shawarma’, other varieties include ‘signature chicken with cheddar cheese’, ‘whole meat with cheese’ etc.
The whole meat chicken shawarma comes with huge fillings of juicy and crispy chicken chunks. Even the authentic falafel deep-fried patties made with chickpeas, herbs, spices, onion and dough — is also served at the outlet. The stand-alone side dish is also served inside the pockets of saj bread with diced vegetables such as lettuce, onions.
The outlet recently won the award for the best shawarma at an award function held at Maritime Convention Center in Kochi by the Metro Food and Brands Excellence Award and Kerala Travel Mart.
Grilled delicacies in chicken and beef versions and unique shawarma burgers will be the newest additions in their second outlet, which will be launched soon.
Chakkakuru Aviyal
Ingredients:
For grinding
Method of preparation
Clean and julienne cut all the vegetables evenly. Clean the jack fruit seeds and slice them. Marinate vegetables and jackfruit seeds with turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, salt and ½ tsp of coconut oil. Grind the ingredients listed for grinding coarsely. Once it is cooked, add ground coconut mix and stir in the curd on low flame. Garnish with 1 tbsp of Coconut oil and curry leaves and turn off the flame.
Recipe by — Nimi Sunilkumar