Chicken Shawarma Plate

• 230 g raw Skinless chicken thighs (8.1 oz raw)
• 2 g Ground cumin (1 tsp)
• 2 g Paprika (¾ tsp)
• 1 g Ground turmeric (⅓ tsp)
• 1 g Ground coriander (½ tsp)
• 0.5 g Ground cinnamon (¼ tsp)
• 8 g (5 g for the chicken, 3 g for the garlic yogurt) Garlic (3 cloves (2 for the chicken, 1 for the garlic yogurt))
• 20 g (12 g for the chicken, 8 g for the garlic yogurt) Lemon juice (4 tsp (2½ tsp for the chicken, 1½ tsp for the garlic yogurt))
• 8 g Olive oil (⅔ tbsp)
• 2.5 g (1.5 g for the chicken, 0.5 g for the rice, 0.5 g for the garlic yogurt) Salt (½ tsp, divided)
• 60 g dry Long-grain white rice (⅓ cup dry)
• 120 g (for the rice) Water (½ cup (for the rice))
• 80 g Nonfat Greek yogurt (⅓ cup)
• 60 g raw Cucumber (2.1 oz raw)
• 70 g raw Tomato (2.5 oz raw)
• 5 g raw Fresh parsley (1⅓ tbsp chopped)
• 25 g drained Pickles (0.9 oz drained)

You'll need: Large frying pan, Small pan with a lid, Bowl, Small bowl, Tongs, Knife, Cutting board.

Method

1. Marinate the chicken

   Slice the chicken into thin strips about 1 cm (½ inch) wide. Then scrub the board, knife and your hands with soap before you touch anything else. Toss in a bowl with the cumin, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, the chicken's garlic (crushed), its share of the lemon juice, the oil and its share of the salt. Leave for 10 minutes or longer.

   More time in the marinade means more flavor. A few hours in the fridge is even better.

2. Cook the rice

   Rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear, then put it in a small pan with all of the water and a pinch of the salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Leave it covered off the heat for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.

   Don't lift the lid while the rice cooks. The steam does the work, and letting it out leaves the rice hard in the middle.

3. Make the salad and garlic yogurt

   Stir the yogurt with the remaining crushed garlic, lemon juice and salt. Dice the cucumber and tomato, chop the parsley and toss them together. Slice the pickles.

   Taste the yogurt. It should be zingy with garlic, and a little more lemon fixes a flat one.

4. Sear the chicken

   Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches for 4–5 minutes each, turning now and then, until browned at the edges and 74°C (165°F) inside. Cut a thick piece open to check: no pink.

   Don't crowd the pan. Crowded strips steam and don't get those crisp edges.

5. Build the plate

   Pile the rice on a plate, lay the chicken on top and add the salad and pickles on the side. Drizzle with the garlic yogurt.

   Spoon the yogurt over at the end so the rice doesn't get soggy.

Swaps

• Skinless chicken thighs → Chicken breastLeaner. Cook until 74°C (165°F) and no longer, so it stays juicy.
• Nonfat Greek yogurt → Dairy-free plain yogurtDairy-free, with less protein.