Everyone eats shawarma in St. Petersburg - parents and children, bosses and subordinates, hard workers and businessmen. It can be bought anywhere in the city, even in the historical center of St. Petersburg. A stall with shawarma greets city guests at the Moskovsky railway station. This dish is served not only in bistros, but also in restaurants in the city. In all places it is prepared differently. Which recipe is the real one, and how does St. Petersburg shawarma differ from Moscow shawarma?

Tastier than hamburgers

You can try shawarma in more than 300 bistros and restaurants in our city. There are stalls where it is prepared even in the very center of St. Petersburg, among monuments and historical buildings. Shawarma can be bought on Liteiny Prospekt, Nevsky Prospect or Vosstaniya Square. Cafes and bistros serve shawarma wrapped in paper. In restaurants, it is grilled and presented on a plate, accompanied by a fork and knife. Shawarma is wrapped in pita bread, in pita - a special flatbread, or simply laid out on a plate with meat and vegetables with sauce. Shawarma is the favorite food of St. Petersburg residents. This is what they prefer to hamburgers and fries.

This food originally appeared in the East. Shepherds prepared shawarma from boiled minced saiga meat. They placed this meat in the stomach of the animal and filled it with fat. Several years ago, when the already modified recipe reached our country, shawarma quickly became a new fast food hit. In all corners of the country and even the city they began to prepare it in different ways: in some places they add potatoes or onions to shawarma, they often experiment with the sauce. In Moscow it is called shawarma, in provincial cities - shawarma.

Many guests of St. Petersburg admitted that it is in the city on the Neva that shawarma is the most delicious. St. Petersburg residents completely agree with this. The biggest fans of this dish even created a website dedicated to shawarma on the Internet. There they discuss where the food is delicious and where it’s not worth trying, share homemade shawarma recipes and even organize shawarma eating tournaments. “One time we specially rented a bistro room,” recalls shawarma lover Evgeny Migunov. - There were about fifteen of us. We competed to see who could eat the most in an hour. Unfortunately, shawarma is very filling, it is impossible to eat a lot of it. I only finished three pieces, but the winner gobbled up eight! He won a wonderful prize: when we got together, we treated him to shawarma for free.”

"Shaverma in St. Petersburg"

The Raduga bistro has recently opened in the south of St. Petersburg. A shawarma master named Sasha works there. Of course, in fact he is not Sasha at all, it’s just that his real name is very long and difficult to pronounce. Sasha came to St. Petersburg from Tajikistan fifteen years ago. During this time, he learned to speak Russian almost without an accent and to cook shawarma divinely.

“What I’m cooking now is not like the shawarma that was in the East a long time ago,” explains Sasha. - That one had a different taste. Now you won’t try it anywhere else. And I’m preparing “Petersburg-style shawarma.”

Sasha deftly cuts the chicken from the spit, but does not wrap it in pita bread, but places the meat with a spoon. “It tastes better this way,” he says. For cooking, in addition to chicken and lavash, the shawarma master uses tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and garlic sauce.

“Shaverma with potatoes or onions is wrong,” says Sasha. - Nowadays you can buy shawarma on a plate everywhere, but I don’t like it either: it turns out just meat with vegetables. Real, delicious “St. Petersburg-style shawarma” - in pita bread or in lavash, without potatoes. It’s not the same in restaurants either; what they bring is not shawarma, but a work of art. You sit and even feel sorry for eating it. And the taste is different. And I bought “Petersburg-style shawarma” somewhere in a bistro and went out into the street with it. You go, eat it slowly, walk along the rivers and canals, the white nights are beautiful!”

According to mom's recipe

According to Sasha, St. Petersburg shawarma differs from Moscow shawarma only in name. In St. Petersburg, you can also accidentally eat tasteless shawarma. When asked what the secret of taste is then, Sasha smiles slyly: “We try harder than Muscovites, we cook with love.” However, Sasha categorically refused to reveal the secret of the sauce: he only said that the ingredients included mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic and secret oriental seasonings. “If I name them, you’ll publish them, people in Moscow will find out and start cooking them the same way,” says the shawarma maker. “Then tourists won’t come to us in St. Petersburg at all.”

However, Sasha agreed to share the most delicious, in his opinion, homemade recipe for “St. Petersburg-style shawarma.” This is exactly how his mother prepares shawarma. You need to fry finely chopped chicken fillet in a frying pan. Heat the sheet pita bread in a frying pan without oil. Place chicken, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce on the pita bread. For the sauce, mix mayonnaise and sour cream in equal proportions, add salt and pepper. You can add garlic. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and meat and wrap them in pita bread. The dish is ready to eat. Bon appetit!

Kitchen appliances and utensils:

• working surface;
• plate for ingredients;
• pan;
• plate;
• board;
• garlic press.

Ingredients

Step-by-step preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients. We cut the vegetables into strips, take about half of one piece of each vegetable, depending on how many pieces of shawarma you will prepare. Fry or bake the meat to taste, and also finely chop it. You can take any meat - chicken, beef, duck or turkey to taste.
2. Prepare the sauce. Mix in one bowl 3-4 tablespoons of sour cream, half of soft processed cheese (about 1 tablespoon), 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, mustard, olive oil, Provençal herbs, finely chopped herbs and garlic crushed through a press. Mix all the ingredients well until smooth and put in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes, let the sauce cool.
   
   
   
3. Cut the pita in half. The pita has a “pocket” in which we will place all the ingredients.
   
   
   
4. First, add the sauce and use a spoon or brush to coat the inside of the pita well with the sauce.
   
   
   
5. Then we add some meat, vegetables and then some more meat on top.
   
   
   
6. We also add sauce on top.
   
   
   
7. Then more vegetables and meat, and topped with sauce and onions.
   
   
   
8. Place the ingredients in the order you like. Ready! Bon appetit!
   
   
   

Variations in serving and decorating dishes

Shawarma in pita is a simple dish to treat your friends or loved ones. Are you overwhelmed and don't have time to cook dinner? Prepare this healthy and delicious shawarma in pita bread! However, such a dish must be presented beautifully. To wow your guests even more, follow the tips below. To serve shawarma in pita to the table, you can do the following:

• Serve shawarma in pita to each guest on a separate plate.
• Garnish a plate with sauce, as they do in restaurants. For example, take a brush and paint a “drop” of sauce.
• Serve shawarma in pita on a beautiful wide rectangular dish so that all guests can take a piece.
• Serve the shawarma on a plate, and place festive napkins with patterns under the bottom of the plate.

You can assemble this shawarma from any other ingredients to your taste.

Video recipe

Watch this video for a more in-depth look at each step of making shawarma in pita. The recipe is as simple as possible, but it still requires attention. You can definitely repeat it in your kitchen if you follow the instructions above. Enjoy watching!

Now you know that preparing shawarma in pita bread will not take you much time, and you can easily and quickly make it for your friends, guests or loved ones. Having tried to cook this shawarma once, you will fall in love with this recipe and will constantly make it not only for guests, but also for yourself, as a quick snack. Agree, this dish is really as simple to prepare as possible and does not require any special ingredients. Have you ever cooked shawarma like this? Do you like to make it in lavash or in pita bread? Share your thoughts on the recipe below in the comments!

It’s unlikely that anyone will be able to refuse delicious shawarma, especially in the summer, when there are a lot of seasonal vegetables and you don’t want to spend a lot of time on cooking, but spend more time in the fresh air.

Shawarma is called only in St. Petersburg; in other cities the name shawarma is more often heard. There is no difference between these dishes; these are two different names for the same dish. In some establishments there is a rule: shawarma is wrapped in pita bread, and shawarma is wrapped in pita bread.

In contact with

What is Arabic shawarma in chicken pita?

Appetizing homemade shawarma in pita takes pride of place on the table as a quick snack, lunch, dinner and even a holiday dish.

This shawarma is wrapped in an Arabic flatbread - pita. It is bread made from unleavened dough. The filling consists of vegetable salad, meat and sauce.

You can take any vegetables, most often these are: tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded cabbage, lettuce. You can also find options with Korean carrots, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, herbs, cheese, etc.

This is an oriental dish with Turkish roots.. It was first prepared by a Turk in Germany in the 70s. Since that time, tents have appeared in all cities in which fried meat is prepared and, along with vegetables, wrapped in flatbread or pita bread.

The simultaneous existence of two names for the same dish is explained by the difference in the pronunciation of the word depending on the region of residence.

How to cook shawarma in pita, watch the video:

Difference from the classic dish

Shawarma, unlike regular shawarma, is much more satisfying and nutritious. due to the shell. Shawarma is wrapped in a thin flatbread - and shawarma - in pita.

It’s hard to say which one is tastier; it depends on individual tastes; some people always take shawarma in pita bread, while others prefer the option in pita bread.

A very wide variety of shawarma recipes pleases gourmets:, open.

Photo of shawarma in pita

For those who watch their figure - dietary shawarma recipes: , .

Homemade recipe

Cooking time- 50 minutes.

Difficulty level- average.

Type of dish- second.

Energy value per 1 piece- 860 kcal.

Squirrels- 41.4 gr.

Fats- 27.5 gr.

Carbohydrates- 107.3 gr.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• mayonnaise - 3 tablespoons;
• sour cream - 60 gr;
• greens (any: dill, parsley, basil, cilantro) - 1 bunch;
• garlic - 4 cloves;
• sesame oil - 1 tsp;

How it's done:

Perhaps everyone has tried shawarma in pita: juicy meat with vegetables, wrapped in a flatbread. It’s not difficult to prepare such a snack, the main thing is to follow the step-by-step instructions.

There are different recipes for making pita, for traditional Arabic you need to prepare:

• premium flour – 0.5 kg;
• drinking water – 0.3 l;
• vegetable oil – 60 ml;
• baker's yeast – 2 tsp;
• table salt – 1 tsp.

1. Sift the wheat flour and add the yeast to it.
2. Add salt and mix dry ingredients.
3. We make a small depression in the very center of the flour mound.
4. Pour oil and the stated amount of warm water into it.
5. Knead the dough, place the finished base in a plastic bag and put it in a warm place.
6. After an hour, knead the base and let it stand for some more time.
7. We form the dough into small cakes 5 mm thick.
8. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes.

It is very easy to understand that the pita is ready; the flatbread will puff up like a ball.

The next pita recipe is made with wallpaper flour. To prepare this type of dough you need to prepare:

• wallpaper flour – 500 g;
• warm water – 0.3 l;
• granulated sugar – 1 tsp;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• soda – 5 g;
• dry baker's yeast - 1 tsp;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.

Step-by-step kneading:

1. Combine all prepared dry ingredients and mix well.
2. Gradually add water to the base and knead an elastic dough that does not stick to your hands.
3. Add oil and mix everything thoroughly again.
4. Cover the dough with a towel and wait for it to rise.
5. We divide it into several parts and form balls.
6. Roll them into thin cakes and place them on a baking sheet previously covered with paper.

Preheat the oven and place the pitas in it, wait for them to inflate, and take them out. This process usually takes 5-7 minutes. Now we cut the pockets and put our favorite filling in them.

Classic shawarma with chicken

At home, shawarma turns out no worse. In addition, such food is safe, since all products are taken fresh. For this recipe you need to prepare:

• poultry fillet – 0.3 kg;
• pita – 3 pcs.;
• white cabbage – 250 g;
• pickled cucumbers – 3 pcs.;
• sour cream – 3 tbsp. l.;
• butter – 50 g.

Instructions for making shawarma:

1. Cut the chicken fillet into thin strips and fry the meat in butter.
2. Chop fresh cabbage into strips and cucumbers into small cubes.
3. Pour sour cream over the vegetables and stir.
4. Place the cut pitas on the table and add cabbage and cucumbers.
5. Place chicken pieces on top.

Homemade chicken shawarma in pita is ready.

Cooking with pork

Pork shawarma turns out to be very juicy and satisfying; preparing such a dish is a pleasure. First you need to start preparing the ingredients:

• ready-made pita leaf;
• pork pulp – 0.3 kg;
• cucumber – 1 pc.;
• Chinese cabbage – 0.2 kg;
• tomato – 1 pc.;
• hard cheese – 150 g;
• various greens - 1 bunch;
• mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil – 50 ml.

Step-by-step preparation of snacks:

1. Prepare a dressing from mayonnaise and chopped herbs.
2. Cut the pork into small cubes and fry in a frying pan with oil until cooked.
3. Pour the prepared sauce into the pork and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Cut the vegetables into strips.
5. Grind hard cheese using a grater.
6. We put chopped vegetables into the pita, then fried meat pieces, and sprinkle everything with cheese shavings on top.

The juicy shawarma is ready, you can treat yourself to a delicious snack.

With the addition of Korean carrots

If you want to somehow diversify the shawarma, give it some spiciness and piquancy, then you should add a little Korean carrot to it. This snack will appeal to the male part of the family. The main components of the dish are as follows:

• beef – 0.2 kg;
• pita – 6 pcs.;
• Korean carrots – 0.1 kg;
• Korean cabbage – 0.1 kg;
• fresh cucumber – 1 pc.;
• tomato – 1 pc.;
• ketchup – 2 tbsp. l.;
• mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• greens - 1 bunch.

Let's start cooking:

1. Wash and cut the beef into thin slices.
2. Salt and fry it in a frying pan.
3. Cut tomatoes and cucumbers into cubes.
4. Mix mayonnaise with tomato ketchup and chopped garlic cloves.
5. Add finely chopped greens to it.
6. Lay out the cut pitas and generously coat the inside with dressing.
7. Add meat, Korean carrots, cabbage and vegetable pieces.

The delicious snack is ready, you can enjoy the wonderful taste.

Variation with red sauce

Shawarma with red sauce gets an unusual taste. This appetizer can be served both on a festive table and on an everyday basis. First you need to start preparing the necessary ingredients. This pita shawarma recipe includes:

• ready-made pita – 4 pcs.;
• any meat – 300 g;
• juicy tomato – 2 pcs.;
• sweet pepper - 1 fruit;
• olive oil – 50 ml;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• ketchup – 2 tbsp. l.

Step-by-step preparation of shawarma:

1. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes.
2. Cut the onion into half rings. Bell pepper - into strips.
3. Fry the meat pieces in olive oil until an appetizing crust appears.
4. Add vegetables and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Season the ingredients with ketchup and fry for another 5 minutes.
6. We make pockets in the pita and fill them with filling.

Alexander Gushchin

I can’t vouch for the taste, but it will be hot :)

19 Mar 2016

Content

One of the most common types of “fast” and satisfying food is shawarma (doner kebab). In almost every city you can find a grill stall selling this oriental dish. The snack is loved by all those who do not have time for long lunches. Cooking shawarma at home is a good way to please yourself and your friends with the extraordinary taste of oriental national cuisine. A hearty appetizer that will decorate the table at any party. The wide distribution of this dish gives gourmets the opportunity to prepare doner according to all sorts of recipes to suit their taste.

Features of cooking

There are no special secrets on how to make shawarma at home - all ingredients can be selected and combined depending on personal preferences. However, attention should be paid to some important aspects: the peculiarities of marinating meat, preparing the sauce and choosing a good pita bread. The main seasonings used in shawarma are: cardamom, paprika, turmeric, curry and various types of peppers. Sometimes black coffee or cinnamon is added, but some people don't stop there and look for new sources of flavor.

The main advantage of cooking doner at home is its safety for health. Unfortunately, not all fast food stalls comply with sanitary standards. Therefore, after eating shawarma in an unfamiliar place, various stomach diseases may occur, such as poisoning, heartburn or gastritis. A home-prepared snack made from fresh and thoroughly washed ingredients will help avoid any health problems, as well as reduce the amount of excess calories for the body.

How to marinate meat

The main filling of shawarma is meat. It can be anything: chicken, pork, lamb or turkey. It is advisable to marinate the meat before cooking so that it acquires a soft, pleasant taste. To do this, you need to rub it with your favorite spices, sprinkle with herbs, and place chopped onion rings on top. Add vinegar if desired and pour dry wine (white) for one hour. After marinating, the meat should be fried in a frying pan.

How to make filling sauce

Properly mixed sauce is the secret of any shawarma. The main ingredients of this essential supplement are the following products: sour cream, homemade mayonnaise and kefir. To make shawarma sauce at home, you need to: mix the main ingredients in equal proportions, add grated garlic, curry, dried herbs (basil, parsley, dill), ground black pepper and coriander. After preparing the doner preparation, you need to leave it in the refrigerator for one hour until it thickens.

How to properly wrap in pita bread

Before wrapping the shawarma, you need to choose the right pita bread. It should be dense, elastic and bend well. It is important to choose pita bread that is not dry, without cracks, so that it does not break and the filling does not fall out or the sauce does not leak out. Armenian thin lavash is often used, but doner can also be made in pita bread. Homemade shawarma is wrapped like this:

1. Unroll the pita bread on a hard, flat surface.
2. Apply specially prepared sauce.
3. With a slight indentation at the bottom, place the ingredients closer to either edge of the pita bread.
4. Start folding the pita bread on the side where the filling is located.
5. Give it a few turns so that the ingredients are completely wrapped in the pita bread.
6. Fold the bottom and top edges of the pita bread over the filling.
7. Roll until the end into a tight roll, closed on all sides.
8. Shawarma is ready to be heated in a frying pan or oven.

The best step-by-step homemade shawarma recipes

Absolutely anyone can prepare shawarma at home - this dish does not require a lot of time. The ingredient composition of doner depends on the wishes of the gourmet himself. However, for those who do not know what shawarma is made from at home, there are many different step-by-step recipes. For each of them, a certain composition, quantity of ingredients, and seasonings are selected. Let's look at some of them.

With Chiken

If you use chicken breast for doner, you will get dietary shawarma. List of required ingredients for two servings:

• thin Armenian lavash - two sheets;
• chicken meat – 300-350 g;
• fresh cucumbers and tomatoes – 1 pc.;
• fresh white cabbage – 70-150 g;
• homemade garlic or cheese sauce;
• greenery;
• salt pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the cucumbers into thin strips and the tomatoes into small cubes.
2. Chop the cabbage and mix the ingredients, adding salt and pepper.
3. Chop the greens and onions.
4. Cut the marinated chicken into slices one centimeter wide.
5. Fry them in a hot frying pan.
6. Brush the pita bread with sauce to taste.
7. Place all the mixed ingredients on the pita bread towards one edge.
8. Roll into a tight roll and heat in a frying pan with a small amount of oil.
9. Delicious classic shawarma at home is ready.

With pork

There are a lot of doner recipes, and they are interesting in their own way. In order to prepare shawarma with pork at home in the Russian way, you need to take:

• pita bread or pita bread;
• pork – 200 g;
• tomato – 1 pc.;
• Chinese cabbage – 40 g;
• potatoes – 150 g;
• dill – 1 sprig;
• sauce or mayonnaise;
• salt pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the meat into small pieces and the potatoes into slices.
2. Fry the potatoes and meat in a frying pan until golden brown.
3. Cut the tomato and cabbage into strips.
4. Place meat and potatoes on pita bread.
5. Add a sprig of dill, tomatoes and Chinese cabbage.
6. Top with sauce to your taste.
7. Wrap the pita bread in a tight tube.
8. Heat in a frying pan or in a waffle press.

With turkey

One of the most delicious and dietary foods is turkey. As the main ingredient of shawarma, it goes well with vegetables. To prepare turkey doner for 4 servings, you need to take:

• minced turkey – 250 g;
• cabbage –100 g;
• Korean carrots – 30 g;
• pickled cucumbers – 1 pc.;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• ground pepper and salt - to taste;
• green salad – 2 leaves;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• red onion – 1 pc.;
• homemade mayonnaise – 60 g;
• Armenian lavash – 2 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Mix homemade mayonnaise with garlic.
2. Fry the ground turkey over low heat with a small amount of oil.
3. Cut the onion into rings, finely chop the cabbage.
4. Thinly cut the tomatoes into half rings and the cucumbers into circles.
5. Cut the pita bread into two parts.
6. Lubricate it with mayonnaise.
7. Place the minced meat on the pita bread, stepping back about two fingers from the edge.
8. Place cabbage, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers on top.
9. Carefully roll up, folding the edges to the side to form a closed shawarma.
10. Heat in a frying pan without oil until the pita bread becomes crispy.

How to cook with lamb and feta cheese

You can prepare shawarma at home in Turkish style with lamb and feta cheese. The recipe requires the following ingredients:

• pita;
• sesame oil;
• tomato – 2 pcs.;
• lamb – 100 g;
• feta cheese – 70 g;
• vegetable oil – 150 ml;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• salad mix – 30 g;
• matsoni;
• cucumber – 1 piece;
• cardamom;
• bulb onions;
• egg - 2 pieces;
• curry;
• salt pepper.