Chicken Shawarma with Red Pepper Hummus

Homemade is always best. This recipe is basically a homemade chicken kebab with homemade hummus and a homemade salad dressing and it's bloody delicious, even if I do say so myself!

The marinade is best done the night before or the morning of the day you want to make it and the hummus can be made up to three days in advance so this is perfect for a midweek meal - a bit of effort in advance and then speedy deliciousness when you get home from work! I like to serve this with wholemeal pitas (like the classic kebab!) but it works just as well with tortilla wraps or even just on its own as a salad.

Chicken Shawarma with Red Pepper Hummus

Serves 4

For the chicken:

500g chicken thighs, boneless & skinless

100g Greek yoghurt

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sea salt

For the salad:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juice only

1 tsp dried oregano
2 gem lettuces, shredded
1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and finely sliced

3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

For the red pepper hummus:
2 roasted red pepper, from a jar

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 lemon, juice only

2 tbsp tahini

1 tsp garlic granules

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Sea salt

To serve:
wholemeal pita breads

Place all of the ingredients for the chicken in a mixing bowl and toss to combine completely. Leave to marinade covered for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge

Blitz all of the ingredients for the red pepper hummus in a food processor until completely smooth. Season with sea salt to taste and loosen with a few tbsp water if required. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Remove the chicken from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Place a large griddle or frying pan over a medium high heat, add a little oil and fry the chicken (in batches if necessary) for 4-5 minutes each side or until cooked all the way through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Place all the ingredients for the salad in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Season to taste. To serve, spread pitas with red pepper hummus, top with the salad and chicken and serve with extra hummus dotted on top.