So what exactly is a Doner Kebab? The döner kebab, one of Turkey's national dishes, has been around for over 250 years – and it in recent years, it has become the one of the most popular fast food staples in Germany. Introduced to Berlin in the 1970s by Turkish immigrants, one of the city’s largest minority groups, you’ll find döner kebab in every German town today; but Döner capital is still Berlin, proud home to more than 1300 Doener stands (more than Istanbul), and the Turkish fare is an essential part of Berlin’s culinary scene. Traditional Döner means lamb, but you’ll also find chicken or veal meat, carved thin from a rotating spit, packed in toasted Turkish bread and topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a sauce of your choice yogurt, spicy, and garlic. (source here)
When we lived in Berlin, Germany years ago, the Doner Kebab quickly became a great treat to buy at a Doner stand once in awhile.
On a quest to recreate one, I sought out the advice of a few foodie friends, Donika, from Mom! What's for Dinner and Shabnam, from FlavorNSpice. I knew the ones we had in Berlin were made with roasted lamb, and the sauce we always chose was a white garlic sauce ... thanks to suggestions from them both, I had a yogurt/garlic white sauce I could make!!! YAY!!!!
RECIPE
Ingredients
Pita Bread
Lamb from roasted lamb, shaved thinly
1/2 head of lettuce, shaved thinly
1 medium onion, shaved thinly
1 small container plain yogurt
1 large clove garlic, roasted
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
sliced cucumbers and tomatoes (optional)
Method
Several hours ahead of when you'll be serving the Doner Kebabs, place whole garlic in oven-safe ramekin, drizzle with olive oil, cover tightly with foil and bake in a 375 oven for 25-30 minutes.
Remove from oven, uncover and let garlic cool about 10 minutes. Remove cooked garlic cloves and mix with yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Put in a covered container and refrigerate.
When ready to assemble Doner Kebabs, heat shaved lamb pieces and Pita bread until warm. Spread Yogurt-Garlic Sauce over each pita bread, top with warmed lamb and shaved onions and lettuce. Add more sauce if desired. Delicious!
Enjoy,
Mary
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