Shwarma Matten style! |
Ben Yehuda’s Moshiko’s |
It’s Shwarma!!! |
BTW….We also finally got to meet my favorite aish.com editor, Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith, who kindly gave us a tour of the Aish Hatorah facility in the Old City, and showed us the spectacular rooftop view of Jerusalem. The view is incomparable, and if you’re ever in the old city I strongly recommend taking the stairs up to the top of Aish.
The breathtaking view of the Kotel (Western Wall) from the top of the Aish Hatorah building in the Old City of Jerusalem! |
Also…don’t forget to check out the Kosherfest product of the week below: Fast & Easy by Leah Schapria!!

Shwarma
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds dark chicken, trimmed of fat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Shwarma spice (plus more for covering missed spots)
- Non-stick vegetable oil spray
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1–2 pounds french fries — baked
- 16 ounces hummus
- 8 ounces techina
- 4 small cucumbers, chopped (I used the Hindy Chopper)
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- Pickles, sliced
- Coleslaw, optional
- Schug — crushed red pepper paste- “charif” (optional)
- 8 large laffa pitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275° F.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick vegetable spray.
- Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss chicken with one tablespoon of olive oil and Shwarma spice, coating chicken completely.
- Evenly place chicken on prepared pan.
- Sprinkle additional Shwarma spices on any parts of the chicken that weren’t coated.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove from the oven, cool slightly, then shred into smaller pieces.
- In a medium skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add onion and sauté until golden brown and slightly caramelized.
- Set aside.
- Place one laffa on a flat surface.
- Spread with 2 tablespoons of hummus, then schug (optional), then top with chicken, vegetables, fries and any other additional desired toppings, ending with techina, leaving around 5 inches of empty laffa on the bottom.
- Fold the bottom of the laffa pita over the filling, then fold one side over and roll into a laffa wrap.
- Eat warm!


Pita
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, place yeast, water, and sugar.
- Add the flour and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add salt and oil.
- Mix on medium speed for 8-10 minutes.
- If the dough looks too dry, add up to an additional ¼ cup water if necessary.
- Lightly coat a bowl with oil and place the dough inside.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
- Let rise 1 ½ hours.
- When the dough has doubled, punch down and divide dough into 8 pieces.
- Roll each part into a ball.
- Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, center a rack in the oven and insert an inverted baking sheet or pizza stone.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Lightly coat your working surface with flour.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the balls of dough to 6-inch circles.
- Lightly dust both sides with flour.
- If you have trouble rolling out the dough, let it rest an additional 10 minutes and try again.
- Cover the dough circles until ready to bake so they don’t dry out.
- Throw 2 ice cubes into the bottom of the oven, and place 3 dough circles on top of the inverted baking sheet.
- Bake for 405 minutes.
- Pita should puff up.
- Remove carefully and let cool.
- Repeat with remaining dough.

Falafel
- Yield: 75 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- Water for soaking
- 1 head garlic, peeled (12–14 cloves)
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons dried cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 scant tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 3/4 – 2 cups water
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (or more as needed)
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight in water.
- For a quicker soak, place the chickpeas in a pot.
- Add water until the peas are submerged beneath two inches of liquid.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
- Drain.
- In a food processor or with a grinder, grind chickpeas, garlic, and onion.
- Place mixture into a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Fill a pot halfway with oil. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Form batter into tight balls with a small ice-cream scooper.
- Test-fry one ball; if it falls apart, add breadcrumbs.
- Slip balls into oil, a few at a time.
- Do not crowd.
- Fry until golden on all sides.
- Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Drain on paper towels.
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