In Berlin, I fell in love with the Turkish döner kebab at a little takeout place near my hotel. Similar to a gyro, these overflowing sandwiches were topped with all sorts of salads, fresh vegetables and sauces and served on a warm, crispy flatbread. I've never found anything quite like it in the U.S., but I've got some ideas for a homemade version that incorporates some of my favorite elements.
Travel Inspiration: Turkish Döner Kebab in Germany
At the end of my junior year of college, I took a short study trip to Germany and spent most of the time in Berlin. During the day, our group kept a tight schedule, which included many lovely meals. But in the evenings, we could do a little exploring on our own, which was always the most exciting time. On one of our first nights in Berlin, my roommate and I wandered into a Turkish takeout place near our hotel.
I recognized the towering pieces meat on rotating spits, which I'd seen in gyro joints back home, but what really caught my eye was a glass case filled with colorful salads and a variety of sauces – curry, herb, chili, yogurt. The sandwiches they served were indeed similar to a gyro, but here they were called döner, or döner kebab. I ordered a chicken döner and was delighted to find that I could have any of those salads and sauces tucked into my sandwich. I had mine loaded up with nearly all of them.
The bread, too, was similar to the pitas I'd eaten at home, but it was a little chewier on the inside and crispier on the outside, possibly even fried.
With the first bite, I was hooked. I was surprised to like it so much because I'd never been a big fan of gyros, but the sauces, salads and crispy bread made all the difference for me. I found my way back to that spot as many times as I could for the rest of the trip.
After I returned home, I spent several years on the lookout for a similar sandwich, but every "döner" I found came with little or no sauces or salads, and was served on non-crispy pita bread. It turns out, the version of the döner I loved so much was actually invented right there in Berlin by a Turkish immigrant – Mahmut Aygun served his first doner kebab in 1971 at his Hassir restaurant. Known as the "kebab king," he passed away earlier this year.
Germany has a large Turkish immigrant population, which has led to the widespread popularity of döner kebab there.
To make an exact version at home would require a rotating spit, and quite a large amount of meat – and often, a mixture of meats is used. But you could easily make a similar version with grilled chicken, beef or lamb, or even a vegetarian version with some chickpeas in place of the meat. Like I said, for me, it's all about the salads, sauces and crispy bread.
For the bread, I'd brush both sides of a pita generously with oil and heat on the grill or in a skillet until it's nice and crispy. Here are some suggestions for toppings:
Sauces
Turkish Cacik
Mint Tzatziki
Curry Yogurt Sauce from Fine Cooking
Roasted Garlic-Herb Sauce from Bon Appétit
Harissa
Salads and Fresh Toppings
Tabbouleh
Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad from Food Network
Shredded red or green cabbage
Sliced cucumbers
Roasted peppers
Pickled peppers
Red onions
Black olives
More
Wikipedia: Döner Kebab
Telegraph: The Man who Invented the Doner Kebab has Died
Related: Leftovers Recipe: Lamb Pitas with Cucumber Mint Tzatziki
(Image: Flickr user Alex Kehr, licensed under Creative Commons)
Comments (19)
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the only thing better than Turkish food in Turkey is Turkish food in Germany. Yum.
view kristian's profile
WOW. I am *so* hungry right now. I totally want lamb.
view keltrue's profile
If you're in LA, check out: http://www.eatatspitz.com/
view YUMinTUM's profile
And try the Mexican version of a doner:
Tacos al pastor.
view art's profile
Damn, that looks good, but who on earth could eat that entire thing? It's enormous. That would be about three meals for me.
@art: where I come from, the taco al pastor (my favorite too) is just the meat, cilantro and onions. I've never seen salad fixings on them.
view Peggasus's profile
When I lived in France, this was common street food. Right up there with the sandwich, the crepe, and the waffle. In downtown Besançon, there was a kebab place on every street. Sometimes three right next to each other. I miss them. :/
view thefrancelandletters's profile
you can find this in kosova and albania as well. one version i ate (in sarande in southern albania) came with a cabbage salad and french fries on top of the meat. it was doused with a ketchup-y, mustard-y mayo. brilliant.
view nenasadije's profile
mm al pastor. dangerous and tasty
view chusmabilly's profile
I used to eat these all the time when I lived in Cologne, Germany in the mid 90s. Man, I miss them!
view Bushidoka's profile
they taste best at about 3AM, with a belly full of hefeweizen
view kodaly's profile
@Peggasus,
You're right about the way pastor is traditionally eaten.
I was referring to the way the meat is cooked on the same contraption--the doner, which was brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants.
view art's profile
lovelovelove the döner and also tacos al pastor. i guess i'm lucky to have lived in san diego and wiesbaden!
view m!'s profile
I love döner kabab! I'm a vegetarian, so while I was in Turkey I was surprised to find a "fast food" option that had so many different varieties! OK, I'm officially hungry now!
view poweredbytofu's profile
In Canada, their called "donairs" (that cone of meat) and "shwarmas" (chicken or lamb, stacked on spikes, grilled and the edges sliced off); "kebabs" are the spiced ground meat elongated meatballs... Maybe the different names are because they come mostly from Lebanon, not Turkey.
I am now craving a shwarma from back home -- if you are ever in Ottaw, you've got to order a "chicken garlic" from Maroush's (on Rideau or Elgin) -- and make sure to ask for extra sauce ("double garlic"). The sauce is a warm, garlicky sauce that resembles thinned humous... It bathes the wonderfully grilled chicken meat -- positively orgasmic. Seriously. Popular with the clubbing crowd in the wee hours.
view mschatelaine's profile
You can find doner kebab at Uncle Otto's in Athens, Georgia. Bite for bite , it tastes just like the doner kebab in Germany. Also, they have incredible Belgian Fries with lots of sauces. YUMMMY!
view emmaneezer's profile
I had (many) of these in Spain. I called them reindeer sandwiches. SO delish. It's the first thing I'm going to eat when get there again.
view splatgirl's profile
if you are ever in omaha, visit amsterdam felafel and kebab. they have only three things on the menu: felafel, doner kebab, and curry fries. BEST kebabs ever. and they will deliver to you on bike!
view ewilde's profile
man I need to "preview" comment when I type late at night... (it was around 11 pm my time)...
"they're", not "their"
"Ottawa" not "Ottaw"
"Shwarma" is the name of the sandwiches rolled in pita bread which feature grilled meats (either lamb, chicken or sometimes beef)...
"kebab" in our part of the world refers to the elongated spiced meatballs -- they can either be made into a sandwich or served on a plate with salads (amazing!)
And the point I was trying to make was that maybe we have different names in most Canadian cities because the snackbars and restaurants where these foods are served tend to have been established by Lebanese immigrants, as opposed to Turkish. (Can't think of any Turkish establishments that I have come across back home, come to think). The spelling has been pretty standardized too... interesting.
But really -- if you ever find yourself in Ottawa, try a chicken garlic (double sauce) shwarma from Maroush. (can't tell you how much I crave it).
(man, I was tired last night)
view mschatelaine's profile
Doner kebab was also my favorite food in Berlin! I wish I wish I wish I could get it here in Boston!
view michpc's profile