These shawarma mushroom flatbreads are pure flavour with minimal effort

“There are a few things I always have lurking in my cupboards to help me get maximum flavour with minimal effort and a good shawarma paste is one of them,” says chef Natalia Rudin.

“It hardly needs any accessories and works as a marinade on most things with just an extra lick of olive oil and a good pinch of salt. It’s also one of those things that seems to last forever in the fridge once opened.”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp shawarma paste

400g oyster mushrooms, roughly torn

2 flatbreads, warmed

1 pickled gherkin, sliced

Small bunch of parsley

Salt

For the pickled onions:

½ small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons

Juice of ½ lemon

For the tahini yoghurt:

5 tbsp plain yoghurt of your choice

1 tbsp tahini

For the slaw:

¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 tbsp vegan garlic mayo (or egg-based alternative)

Juice of ½ lemon

Method:

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1. Start by combining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the shawarma paste in a bowl. Tear the mushrooms and add them to the bowl, season with a good pinch of salt, then coat them in the paste so the flavours infuse. Set aside while you prep the pickled onions.

2. Put the onions into a small bowl along with the lemon juice and a big pinch of salt then give it a rough mix and leave to sit for a couple of minutes until light pink and juicy.

3. In another bowl, mix the yoghurt and tahini and season with salt.

4. To make the slaw, mix all the ingredients together with a good pinch of salt and set aside.

5. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the marinated mushrooms for about 10 minutes until charred and caramelised.

6. Warm through the flatbreads in a separate dry pan or straight on a flame if you have a gas hob (be careful and use tongs). Let them sit for about 30 seconds per side and keep flipping until they feel warm to the touch – this goes for both pan or direct flame.

7. Layer on the yoghurt, slaw, pickled onions, mushrooms and finish with pickled gherkin and parsley.

Tip: Pour olive oil into the jar of shawarma paste once it’s been opened to cover to the surface and prevent mould growth.

Recipe from ‘Cooking Fast and Slow’ by Natalia Rudin (Penguin Life, £25).