Homemade Chicken Shawarma

It’s best to season in advance and refrigerate to let the flavors marinate. If life happened and you only had 15 minutes it will still turn out fine.

Since there is almost no oil in the recipe, it’s important to use a non-stick pan.
2 pounds / 1 kilo boneless skinless chicken thighs (don’t discard the fatty parts)
1 Tablespoon oil
¾ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper
Spread the spice mixture over the chicken, add the oil and rub with your hands so that all pieces are covered evenly. Refrigerate up to 24 hours or if using, set aside. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so the chicken won’t be too cold. Season with salt and pepper just before sautéing.
Heat a non-stick wide shallow skillet. When very hot, add half the chicken and sauté’ covered on high flame (cook the chicken in two batches so that you don’t overload the pan and get steamed chicken). When the chicken is golden-brown on the bottom, turn it over and continue cooking until done. Sometimes you need to flip it a couple more times so that the chicken cooks thoroughly.
Wait 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice as thinly as you can.
Serve with some tahini sauce and this salad:

Onion and Parsley Salad:

Peel half an onion and slice thinly. Salt, and mix well with your fingers. Place aside. Pick the leaves from a small bunch of parsley, add to the onion and season with sumac – if you have it. Mix well.
If there’s no sumac- add some fresh lemon juice to give it a kick.
* Sautéing on high heat causes the chicken to sear on the outside and steam inside, so that you get a spicy golden exterior and a soft and moist interior. Provided you didn’t overcrowd your pan and you preheated well.