Eggplant Shawarma Pita

Prepare the parsley salad and pickled cabbage while the eggplant cooks. Add them when assembling the pita for a fresh contrast to the spiced filling.

The Stuff:

For the eggplant steaks:

• 5 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Large eggplant, sliced lengthways into 5–6 1 inch-thick slices
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon honey
• 1 Teaspoon Never Not Eating Shawarma Spice
• .5 Teaspoon Never Not Eating Chraime Spice
• Sea salt to taste
• ½ Cup water

For the parsley salad:

• 1 Small bunch of fresh parsley, washed and dried, very finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ Clove garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• A Pinch of sea salt

For the pickled cabbage:

• ¼ White or red cabbage, stem removed and very finely sliced
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 Teaspoon Never Not Eating Chraime Spice
• ½ Teaspoon olive oil

To serve:

• 2 Pieces of fluffy pita bread
• 4 Tablespoons plain yoghurt or Greek yoghurt

The Method:

1. Brush the eggplants generously with olive oil.
2. Heat a large frying pan and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add the eggplant slices to the pan. Make sure each piece is touching the surface of the pan; you may need to work in batches. Once the bottom sides have softened and become golden, turn them over. Add a little more oil if necessary. Press down on the slices with a spatula or wooden spoon to help them cook through. Transfer the eggplant onto a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
3. To make the parsley salad, combine the chopped parsley with the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and a Pinch of salt.
4. Combine the sliced cabbage with the lemon juice, sea salt, Chraime and olive oil and mix well. Set aside so it softens and pickles.
5. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the same pan that you used for the eggplants and add the garlic. Once it becomes slightly golden and aromatic, add the tomato paste and mix to soften it. Add a Pinch of sea salt, the honey, Never Not Eating Shawarma and Chraime spices. Add ½ Cup water and mix until you have a silky consistency.
6. Add the cooked eggplant slices back into the sauce, coating them on all sides. Leave each piece to slightly caramelise, turning them over once the bottoms are slightly sticky and browning, about 2 minutes on each side.
7. To serve, warm the pitas in the microwave for 30 seconds or in the oven for three minutes. Cut the tops off the pitas (don’t discard them!) and stuff each one with some cabbage, 2.5 eggplant steaks, a few spoons of yoghurt and finally the parsley salad. Enjoy the extra pickled cabbage, yoghurt and parsley salad with the leftover pita tops.