Savor Berlin’s Favorite Sandwich at Home

Picture the scene: it’s past midnight. You’ve had a fun night with friends, studied hard for exams the next day, and now your stomach is rumbling from dinner that didn’t quite do the trick. When picturing this moment—which many university students have suffered through before—what is your go-to late-night bite? 

Since high school, mine has remained the döner kebab— a Turkish wrap, sandwich, or platter made with meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie and served with your choice of toppings and a plethora of sauces, costing about 6-10 euros. Over winter break, I had the pleasure of spending a week in Berlin, Germany, which maintains a large Turkish immigrant population that popularized the dish over 50 years ago. As someone who enjoyed roughly one döner a day, I quickly mastered the art of building the perfect one, and my process typically unfolds as follows:

A choice of bread is the first selection; my favorite is a dürüm wrap, a tortilla-like flatbread that makes for a comically long sandwich. Other choices include homemade bread, a pita-like equivalent that opens and allows for a maximum number of ingredients to be stuffed inside. Next, a selection of meat or falafel follows. I suggest either juicy chicken or a tender beef and lamb mix, both cooked rotisserie-style. I order my döner with every topping available, including lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, garlic sauce (toum), harissa (hot chili sauce), and sometimes herb sauce. I eagerly anticipate the first bite, often staring at the man assembling the döner to observe the process. 

Courtesy of Kaden Moubayed

When I returned to the United States, I found myself craving a döner. Unfortunately, the closest shop, located on MacDougal Street, was a 35-minute walk from my dorm and unlikely to rival Berlin’s taste or price. I quickly remembered a recipe my cousin, an incredible chef and baker, sent me an easy homemade döner equivalent that she had tried and thoroughly enjoyed. I found the recipe and made it my mission to replicate my week in Berlin. 

In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and very satisfied with this homemade alternative. Below is my cousin’s recipe, along with a few practical tweaks I made due to the limited equipment in my dorm kitchen. For reference:

Note: I don’t own a blender in my dorm, so instead of blending the onions, I chopped them very finely, and I baked the meat all the way through at 375°F for around 30 minutes.

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Nefi’s Kebab (Homemade Döner)

Courtesy of Kaden Moubayed

Ingredients

• 2 onions

• 50 ml olive oil (less if you want to be healthier)

• 4 heaped tbsps yogurt

• 2 tbsps paprika

• 2 tbsps pepper

• 2 tbsps chilli flakes

• 2 tbsps cumin

• 2 tbsps oregano

• 1–2 tbsps salt

• 2 pounds (approx. 1 kg) of minced beef, lamb, or a mix.

Instructions

1. Blend 2 onions until paste-like, then add to your choice of beef and/or lamb.

2. Next add olive oil, yogurt, and all your spices.

3. Mix until smooth and fully combined.

4. Spread the mixture very thinly onto square sheets of parchment paper.

5. Roll up tightly and repeat with the remaining mixture, then place on a baking tray. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.

6. Remove and drain excess liquid, then bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the parchment paper turns dark brown.

7. Remove from oven, unravel, and top with lemon juice. Optionally bake for a further 5–10 minutes to add crispness.

Makes 4 servings.