Shahar Madjar, MD, Journal columnist

For the past 2 years, I have been working on a book of essays about food and diet.

I have not yet given the book a title, but I can tell you that it will include short stories that will demonstrate how the digestive system works and how our brain processes taste, smell, and texture; it will also provide science-based diet advice and recipes from the Mediterranean kitchen.

I thought that the book will be ready by now, but the project calls for longer research than I had anticipated. Meanwhile, I don’t want you to go hungry! So, here is a recipe, one of many, that will be included in the book:

On almost every street corner in Israel, but also in other Middle Eastern countries, one can spot people devouring Shawarma. It is served in a pita bread, or on a plate. It is inexpensive, and nourishing. And it tastes like heaven.

The word “Shawarma” is in Arabic, but its origins can be traced to a Turkish word that means “turning.” The dish originated in the Ottoman Empire. It consists of thinly sliced meat (lamb, veal, beef, turkey, or chicken) stacked on a vertical spit (about 20 inch long) and slowly turning in front of a vertical broiler.

The technique is similar to that used to make rotisserie chicken, but here, the skewer isn’t horizontal; instead, it’s vertical. In Israel, the dish is typically made with layers of turkey meat, separated by thinner layers of lamb fat. As the vertical rotisserie spins, the meat evenly cooks, basting in its own juice and in the melted, rendered lamb fat. What gives Shawarma its unique taste is a combination of spices that includes cumin, turmeric, paprika, cardamon, and cinnamon.

To complete the process, thin, short slices of meat are shaved off the vertical rotisserie. When cooked to perfection, each piece of shaved meat has two layers: a crispy outer layer on the side that was directly exposed to the heat, and an inner layer that is fully cooked, yet juicier.

In Israel, a generous amount of meat is stuffed into a large pita bread together with a vegetable salad, hummus, and tahini sauce. It is a whole meal.

Today, I will give you a recipe which is a variation on the theme of shawarma. You won’t need a vertical broiler. Instead, the whole meal is cooked in one pot. It can be eaten on its own, or served over cooked rice (a recipe for the rice is also included).

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Shawarma dish:

≤ 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

≤ 4 medium-size potatoes, peeled, cut into one-inch cubes

≤ 4 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into one-inch cubes

≤ 1 medium-size onion, diced

≤ Garlic, 4 cloves, peeled, diced

≤ Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons

≤ Paprika, 1 tablespoon

≤ Turmeric, 1 tablespoon

≤ Cumin, 1 teaspoon

≤ Salt, 1 teaspoon

≤ Chicken Bouillon powder (optional), 1 teaspoon

≤ 4 cups of water

For the cooked rice (optional):

≤ Long grain rice, 1 cup

≤ Water, 2 cups

≤ Vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon

≤ Salt, 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

≤ Add oil into a large pot. Tilt the pot in different directions so that the oil evenly covers the bottom of the pot. Heat the pot on medium heat.

≤ Add the diced onion and saute it over medium heat until its color turns light-golden.

≤ Lay the chicken thighs over the onions and cook them for 5-7 minutes on one side until that side turns slightly brown. Then turn the chicken thighs over and cook them for another 5-7 minutes.

≤ Add water. With a wooden spoon, release the sautted/caramelized onion stuck to the bottom of the pot.

≤ Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, spices, salt, and the chicken bouillon powder, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and set the stovetop to simmer.

≤ If you choose to serve the dish over rice: after one hour of cooking the shawarma dish as described above, start cooking the rice. In a medium-size pot, combine rice, oil, salt, and water and stir thoroughly. Over medium heat, bring to boil. Then, lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes. Then, turn off the stove under the rice pot (the shawarma dish should still be cooking), and let the rice sit in the covered pot for an additional 15 minutes. At that time, both the chicken dish and the rice will be ready.

≤ If you choose to serve the dish without rice, cook the shawarma dish for a total of 1.5 hours.

≤ Before serving, use kitchen tongs to slightly “pull” the chicken meat into smaller, bite-size pieces.

≤ Serve over rice, or with toasted bread.

Bon appetit

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Shahar Madjar is a urologist at Aspirus and the author of “Is Life Too Long? Essays about Life, Death and Other Trivial Matters.” Contact him at smadjar@yahoo.com.