Shawarma Sauce and Bread?

Question

A while back, while in the military, I traveled to Jebel Ali, which is right outside of Dubai. On the pier, there were several food venders, one of which was a Shawarma maker. They had the full setup with tomatoes, onions, and the likes, as well as huge donners cooking chicken and pork. They had two kinds of sauce for the Shawarma's. One was similar to Gyro sauce but had a tangy twist to it, and the other one was a red sauce that was much more spicy. I'm trying to find out where to buy or how to make these sauces, (especially the red one). Also the bread that they used was not the standard pita, it was thinner and almost like a mix between a pita and a tortilla, only much fluffier and tastier. Can anyone help me or direct me to help on how to make or buy these items?

I would really like the recipes if possible, especially the red sauce.

Answer 1

I know exactly the bread you are talking of bc I used to be married to an Arab.  He doesn't even consider the american version of pita to be real pita.  Dearborne, MI is the Arab capital of the US and they have lots of bakeries and Middle Eastern restaurants and groceries. If you are in a major city just go to the Mediterranean grocery and they should have the bread.  I believe the red sauce is harissa, its like a spice chili paste.  Also, a good recipe for the pita you are talking about is an egg sandwich... they take hard boiled eggs, put chopped tomatoes, lots of salt, and pour tahini on it... it's delicious!  :)

Answer 2

I agree with the first answerer about the bread. I lived in Dubai. The sauce they used for a traditional shawarma is tahini paste thinned out with lemon juice and water (unline the cucumber tzatziki sauce use in gyros). I think that the red sauce was probably just tahini sauce with red chilli powder. I really doubt they used roasted red peppers in Dubai at a shawarma stall (think cheap and easy).  Also the meat options you would get was mutton or chicken. Not pork (just think about that for a moment).

Answer 3

as for the bread- it sounds like Lebanese bread. Did it look at all like this?

http://maninas.files.wordpress.com/2007/...

Its like chewy and fluffy when its fresh. Look for lebanese bakers in your area.

As for the sauce- it tastes exactly like this one:

http://www.masterfoods.com.au/products/c...

No idea where you can get this from- but you can make it yourself. Roast some large red chillis, deseed and blend with white vinegar and some tomato ketchup. I think they call it harissa... not too sure on that one.

Good luck!!