Shawarma Prawns with Spiced Preserved Lemon Pilaf rice
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Serves 4 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
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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
Method
- Step 0: 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.
- Step 1: 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.
- Step 2: Add the rice, mix and cook for a couple of minutes to toast it.
- Step 3: 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.
- Step 4: Once the time is up, switch the heat off, don’t touch and leave covered until you are ready to serve.
- Step 5: Mix the shawarma paste with 2 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Step 6: Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Step 7: Season the prawns with salt, add to the hot pan and sear for 2 minutes on each side.
- Step 8: Once cooked, add the prawns to the bowl with the shawarma mix and stir to coat.
- Step 9: 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.
- Step 10: Fluff the pilaf with a fork and serve alongside the shawarma prawns and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.
