Two shawarma sauces: white and hot
Without these two, shawarma isn't shawarma. White garlic sauce is the base; the hot tomato one is for those who like it fierier. Both take five minutes.
Method
- White sauce: combine the sour cream and yogurt. Add crushed garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper.
- Stir and let it stand 10–15 minutes so the garlic and herbs open up.
- Hot sauce: loosen the tomato paste with warm water to a ketchup consistency.
- Add crushed garlic, paprika, chilli or adjika, a pinch of sugar and salt. Stir.
- If you like, warm the hot sauce for a minute over low heat — the flavour turns rounder and deeper.
Tips
- The white sauce doubles as a dressing: thicken it to mayonnaise consistency by using less yogurt.
- Tune the heat of the tomato sauce with adjika, chilli flakes or a spoon of hot ketchup — add a little at a time and taste.
How to serve
Both keep 2–3 days in the fridge. Take them out ahead of assembling — cold sauce spreads badly on the flatbread.