Shawarma Prawns with Spiced Preserved Lemon Pilaf rice
Prep 15 minutesCooking 50 minutes4 people
Spice up your rice! This middle eastern inspired rice dish benefits from the tartness of the preserved lemon, which helps to bring out the freshness of the dish. The shawarma prawns compliment the flavour of the rice perfectly and bulk out the dish to make it a full meal.
Ingredients
For the Pilaf:
- 1 medium white onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 8g fresh ginger, grated
- ½ Beldi preserved lemon, pith discarded, the skin thinly sliced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground fennel
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 30g coriander, chopped: the stalks and leaves kept separate
- 250g basmati rice
- 375ml water
- 1 tsp salt
For the shawarma prawns:
- 350g raw shelled and deveined king prawns
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Shawarma paste
- ½ lemon, juice and zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 150g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Instructions
- Place a medium pot on a medium heat, add the olive oil and butter, the onions and ½ tsp salt. Cook until softened and sweet, around 10-15 minutes, stirring quite frequently. Reduce heat if they look like they are burning.
- Add the grated garlic, ginger, preserved lemon, spices and chopped coriander stalks and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring now and again to make sure the mix does not burn.
- Add the rice, mix and cook for a couple of minutes to toast it.
- Add the water and salt, put a lid on and bring to a boil. Turn down to a low simmer and cook for 12 minutes.
- Once the time is up, switch the heat off, don’t touch and leave covered until you are ready to serve.
- Mix the shawarma paste with 2 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Season the prawns with salt, add to the hot pan and sear for 2 minutes on each side.
- Once cooked, add the prawns to the bowl with the shawarma mix and stir to coat.
- Add the halved tomatoes to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft, then add to the bowl with the prawns, along with the chopped coriander leaves.
- Fluff the pilaf with a fork and serve alongside the shawarma prawns and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.
Included in this Recipe
Shawarma
Persian spice paste with warming ginger, turmeric and fiery chilli.
Preserved Beldi Lemons
The salty and lightly acidic taste brings an intense lemon flavour to a wide variety of dishes
Verdemanda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Arbequina olives of the highest quality are stone ground creating a vivid emerald green oil with a fresh and vibrant grassy flavour.