Chickpea Shawarma

By
Anita Schecter
Anita Schecter_BW
Anita Schecter
Professional recipe developer, food photographer, and blogger with more than a decade of experience creating Middle Eastern recipes.
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Updated on 05/16/22
Chickpea shawarma
Anita Schecter
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
211 Calories
10g Fat
25g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 211
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 395mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 153mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Here's the thing about shawarma spice mix recipes. If you look up a dozen recipes you will, in fact, get a dozen different recipes. Some only differ in measurements while others introduce spices not commonly included. You can also buy pre-made shawarma mix from about half a dozen spice companies. They don't list their recipes but they probably all taste a little different. So, we're going to have to agree that it's one of those hometown, regional, tribal, family-specific kinds of things and nobody is really sure what's correct.

Most places consider shawarma a sandwich and the meat (beef, lamb, chicken) is roasted on a spit with the spice. So chickpea shawarma is not as common but they just don't know what they're missing.

Ingredients

For the Shawarma Spice Mix:

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, to taste

For the Shawarma:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.

  3. To make the spice mix, combine all the spices in a small bowl. You'll have enough for this recipe, but I usually keep the same proportions but make a larger batch to have on hand.

  4. Add the chickpeas to a large bowl, toss with the olive oil and spice mix.

  5. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 30 minutes.

  6. Toss with the chopped herbs.

  7. Serve on a bed of greens, over rice or in a pita sandwich with Israeli salad.