So, how are you beautiful people doing, generally in your life? Good to hear. Because from here, it will only get better. Because after you’ll read it you will go and make yourself a 100% cruelty free shawarma sandwich, and return even better to thank me for that.
Many kinds of substitutes can be thought when imagining how to make vegan shawarma. Tofu, seitan are the immediate suspects. Here in Berlin you have a place that even have a seitan skewer the old fashion way.

But I chose to leave them out this time and go for this one thing that has the perfect texture to imitate shawarma – oyster mushrooms. Yes, those wild mushrooms that come in a large cluster. They have the perfect meaty texture.

The secret is the spice mixture. If you have a favorite kebab place next to you, you should try to reverse-engineer the exact spice mixture they use for their mear, and saute them with some onions to open up the flavors. I was following the taste of a mythic shawarma place from the city of Netanya, Israel. I used Iraqi baharat, a bit of turmeric and a bit of smoked paprika for the meaty taste, but this is something you can freestyle on.

So for 2 servings you will need 1 medium onion, which you will saute on a medium-high flame. Then, add the spices and let them open up to the oil. Add sliced mushrooms – should be sliced only lengthwise to keep the form of the shawarma. Best is to have 1 cup of oyster mushrooms, or 2/3 oyster and 1/3 portobello. Don’t use button mushrooms (champignon), since their texture will get soggy and it won’t feel like the real deal. Once the mushrooms are in, increase the heat to maximum and fry while flipping and stirring until the mushrooms are covered completely in the seasoning and start to become golden. IMPORTANT: use a pan which is wide enough so all the mushroom pieces will touch the metal. Otherwise it might turn into a sauce and you son’t want that. Once it’s ready, and only then, add some salt and stir again.

In the meanwhile, prepare the pita or wrap. Hummus will fill in for the lack of protein, Tahini is a must. Amba (mango pickle) or some garlic-chilly condiment are a nice plus. Tomato, onion and some greens. I chose to go for some lovely organic forest greens from my local organic collective, but feel free to go wild, from rocket to cabbage.

Mix, roll, eat before you could even take a picture and make sure you have enough to roll another one.

And it can be served on a plate too: