Homemade shish taouk…yeah!! You know i wouldn’t post a recipe that i don’t love. Well, I’m in love with this recipe. I have cracked the shish taouk code. And its seriously awesome.
For those of you who are not familiar with shish taouk, according to wikipedia, it is a traditional Arabic and Turkish kabab, which can also be found in Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian, Lebanese, Egyptian and Iraqi cuisines, but is made in kabab houses in many cities around the world. A shish, simply put, has its origins in Turkish and means skewer. Taouk, also Turkish, refers to grilled or roasted chicken.
Chicken chunks are marinated in a mixture of yoghurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic, spices and herb. The yoghurt tenderizes the chicken while the spices and other marinade ingredients infuse it with flavor. My husband says that it tasted better than the ones you get at the middle eastern restaurants. Heβs biased, of courseβ but heβs also brutally honest, especially when it comes to the dishes i make for the blog.
You can have these chicken with whatever you want really: rice, french fries, pita bread, you name it. I opted to make a wrap with the Mexican tortilla. I also made a quick onion salad with sumac and parsley to go with it, added some tomato and chucked in some jirjir leaves for that added crunch. Thanks ethatha for this idea. In addition to these i also added the perfect partner for shish taouk, toum sauce or garlic sauce to the wraps. It was simply delicious.
This recipe of shish taouk was introduced to me by my besty for life, Nimeena. Thank you darling!!! You guys do try this one out and you will also love my friend nearly as much as i do just for this recipe. π
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy: Nimeena Saleem <3
For shish taouk:
450 g boneless chicken
12 mint leaves
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp sumac powder
A pinch of oregano
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 green chillies
2 tbsp yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Baby potatoes
Colored capsicum
Baby brinjal
For the wrap:
Tortillas
Toum sauce (garlic sauce)
Tomatoes
Jirjir leaves or lettuce
Pickled cucumber, carrot etc
Onion salad:
Mix sliced onions, chopped parsley, a little sumac powder and salt.
- Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes.
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Make a paste of mint leaves, garlic,tomato paste,sumac,oregano,lemon,paprika, white pepper, oil, green chillies and salt in a grinder.
-
Add yoghurt to the paste. Mix well. Check for salt.
-
Marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours.
-
Take wooden skewers and soak them in water for half an hour.
-
Then skew the chicken creatively alternating with brinjal, baby potatoes etc.
-
You can either grill them in your oven or in your grill pan or frying pan till tender and nicely browned all over.
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If you are making a wrap with this, take a tortilla and place the slightly chopped shish taouk, pickles, onion salad, tomatoes, jirjir leaves and toum sauce. Wrap them up and on a frying pan add a dash of butter and toast the wraps on all sides and serve immediately.

Shish Taouk Wraps
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
For shish taouk
- 450 g boneless chicken
- 12 mint leaves
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sumac powder
- A pinch of oregano
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 green chillies
- 2 tbsp yoghurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Baby potatoes
- Colored capsicum
- Baby brinjal
For the wrap
- Tortillas
- Toum sauce garlic sauce
- Tomatoes
- Jirjir leaves or lettuce
- Pickled cucumber carrot etc
Onion salad
- Mix sliced onions chopped parsley, a little sumac powder and salt.
Instructions
DIRECTIONS
- Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes.
- Make a paste of mint leaves, garlic,tomato paste,sumac,oregano,lemon,paprika, white pepper, oil, green chillies and salt in a grinder.
- Add yoghurt to the paste. Mix well. Check for salt.
- Marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours.
- Take wooden skewers and soak them in water for half an hour.
- Then skew the chicken creatively alternating with brinjal, baby potatoes etc.
- You can either grill them in your oven or in your grill pan or frying pan till tender and nicely browned all over.
- If you are making a wrap with this, take a tortilla and place the slightly chopped shish taouk, pickles, onion salad, tomatoes, jirjir leaves and toum sauce. Wrap them up and on a frying pan add a dash of butter and toast the wraps on all sides and serve immediately.
My family would LOVE this!! It looks amazing! π
Thanks! Do try making them. π
You inspired me!! I finally made them and posted a link to your blog- here is the link if you want to check it out!! π
Thanks! SO GOOD!!
Oooh thankyou dear for letting me know. How sweet of you. Yours look great. Glad that you liked it.
Btw soo sorry for the late reply. π
Looks and sounds great π I have shish taouk marinating in my fridge right now, my boys love it, I make it for everyone!! My recipe differs slightly from yours though, interesting isn’t it? I’ll have to give yours a try xx
Oh really?? Post the recipe of your version of shish taouk in your blog. Would love to see it. π
Hi Sadia, it’s here http://foodbod.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/shish-taouk/
Ok thanks! Its almost the same but slight changes huh?! π
Yes, only minor really π my guests enjoyed it today xx
Fantastic recipe, I love kabob, your marinade sounds just delicious. What are jirjir leaves? These will be great on the grill!
Jirjir or gergeer leaves are the same as arugula. Thanks a lot dear for the comment. π
Mmmm, this looks delicious, I LOVE the char on that meat. Great job π
Thank you Jess! π
As usual, an absolutely beautiful dish. And looks to be flavorful. I think marinating in yoghurt improves the taste, juiciness, tanginess and digestibility of almost anything! I love that you put pickle in your package too! May I inquire, what is a Jijir leaf?
Thank you! Yeah the yoghurt gives the flavor, tanginess and most importantly it makes the chicken very soft. Jirjir, gergeer, arugula, rocket salad leaves all are the same.
I think i should mention it in my recipe. π
Sadia, my husband just read through this post with me and he has asked me to make this for him soon. Since he asked so nicely and because these shish taouk wraps look so amazing, I have heartily agreed. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into these wraps. Thank you for the inspiration!
Oh thats soo sweet, your husband reads the posts with you? Very sweet. π surely you have to make this for him. Hop u both will like it. Lemme know k. π
bookmarking this one, this looks amazing, the pics, the post, the explanations. no chicken in the house though, just tofu, and somehow I dont think that will work as well!
Thanks a lot! How sweet of you. Hmm i too think it wont be a good idea to make this with tofu. But you never know, what if it turns out great? π
yes you never know until you try I guess π – would need a lot of marinating time!! Happy weekend!
To you too. π
Oh yum!! <3 I was also searching for Middle Eastern recipes and Google had me at Shish Tawook – also made another version and will also post it soon. π Yours look gorgeous! π
Thanks jhuls! Cant wait to see your version of shish taouk. π
YUM!! Kebabs will be on the menu this weekend. Thanks, Sadia, you’re so helpful with my meal-planning. π
Thanks Angie. If you do make it, lemme know how it turned out fr u k. Would love to know. π
this is gorgeous food! way to go woman π
Thank you Ayesha! π
Wow! Wow! Wow! These look so super amazing Sadia!! Have I said “wow” yet!?
Hahaha! Thank you Lori! So glad that you liked the recipe. π
OMG.. You always make me crave for your food.. I’m don’t with a homemade pizza & yet I want this !!
Sadia, these look incredible! I want to make these for dinner tomorrow night…will hunt for some sumac today. =)
Thank you! Did you make it? U found sumac?
Oh my goodness, Sadia, what STUNNING photography! These look incredible; you are quite the talented woman!
Awww! Thank you dear! Thats so sweet of you to say. π
Beautiful! Shish kebab is now on my cooking wish list. Thanks for following and I’m also looking forward reading your mouthwatering foods. π
Thank you for commenting and following my blog. Keep in touch. π
You are not the only one who fell in love with this recipe… I’m sure is delicious, or maybe better! I’ll give a try, I have chicken in my freezer… I can’t wait to taste it…
thank you for sharing and congrats. for your photos, they are beautiful!
Thanks a lot dear. Your are always soo sweet! Love to read your comments. Thnx! π
Drool, drool!!
π π
I am going to try this TOMORROW!!! I am surprised that I have all the ingredients and don’t need to shop! I loveeee shish touk!!!
Yaaay! Did you try it? Cant wait to know the result. Lemme know k.
I have to say no :(. My husband was desperately craving burgers, so I caved. π
I have bookmarked this recipe though! I am going to try this out very very soon (before my sumac runs out!!)
Hahaha! Its ok. I know sometimes we have to sacrifice our cravings for our husband. It happens to me too. π
Oh Sadia!! Yum!! I wish there were a million words that all meant “yum” because I’d use them all! This is fabulous!! π LOVE this.
π π thank you dear soo much! Happy to read this. π
Please don’t make me feel hungry. Can I order for dinner?
Hahaha, of course! π
These wraps worth every effort to make them. Very delicious, Sadia!
Thank you Fae! π
Yum! These look so flavoursome!
Thank you! π
These looks delicious! Reminds me of kabob I haf in Turkey and now I’m totally craving them!
Ha thank you Alex! Actually shish taouk is a speciality from turkey mainly. Im sure you might hav had it from there. π
Your marinade with mint and sumac seems so enticing! Will have to try this!
Yeah the marinade is superb. Do make em. Im sure ul love it π
I don’t know how many Shish Taouk I ate here in Dubai but yours look absolutely perfect, Sadia π
Thank you! I too ate a lot of shish taouk from Dubai. π
Oh yumminess!
Thanks! π
Your wraps look delicious and thanks for all of the information – at first I thought you were using fish! Stunning pictures π
Thank you auntjuju! π