Garlic mayo and shawarma sauce recipe: home and shop batch sizes

Garlic mayo and shawarma sauce are two of the most searched sauces in Pakistan. "Garlic mayo sauce" gets about 720 searches a month. "Shawarma sauce recipe" gets about the same, and "shawarma recipe" gets about 1,300. Both sauces start from ready mayonnaise, so you do not need to make an emulsion from raw eggs. This page gives quantities in grams so a kitchen can repeat the result every time, with batch sizes for a home cook and for a shop.

Why start from ready mayonnaise

Homemade mayonnaise from raw egg yolks is hard to keep consistent and carries food safety risks when it is made in volume. A ready mayonnaise gives you the same base every time. You add garlic, lemon, yogurt or chilli to make it your own. For a busy shop, that means the same sauce on Monday and on Friday, whoever is on the line.

Garlic mayo sauce

Use it for fries, wraps, sandwiches, burgers and grilled chicken.

Home batch, about 8 portions:

• 200 g mayonnaise
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• A pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper

Stir the garlic into the mayonnaise, add the lemon juice a little at a time, then season. Taste it. If the sauce feels too thick for dipping, add a teaspoon of cold water and stir again.

Shop batch, about 40 portions:

• 1 kg mayonnaise
• 10 to 12 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon of white pepper

Mix in a clean, lidded food-grade tub. Taste after a few minutes, because the garlic gets stronger as it sits. Write the date and the cook's initials on the lid.

Real Mayonnaise (Regular) and Classic Mayonnaise both work as a base. You can see them on the products page.

Creamy shawarma sauce

This sauce is lighter and a little tangy. It goes inside wraps and rolls and on the side.

Home batch, about 8 portions:

• 150 g mayonnaise
• 100 g plain yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• A pinch of salt and white pepper

Whisk the yogurt until smooth, then fold in the mayonnaise. Add the garlic, lemon juice and vinegar, season, and whisk again. Leave the sauce in the fridge for a short time so the flavours come together, then taste and adjust.

Shop batch, about 40 portions:

• 750 g mayonnaise
• 500 g plain yogurt
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon of white pepper

Use a whisk and a large steel bowl. Strain the yogurt first if it is watery, so the sauce does not run out of the wrap.

Cost per portion

Work out what each portion costs and you can price your wraps with confidence. Use this method.

1. Add up the cost of every ingredient in the batch.
2. Divide by the number of portions the batch makes.

Here is an example with made-up numbers. Say 1 kg of mayonnaise costs Rs 700, 500 g of yogurt costs Rs 150, and garlic and lemon cost Rs 120 for a 750 g mayonnaise shop batch. The batch costs about Rs 795 (525 plus 150 plus 120). If it makes 40 portions of 30 g, each portion costs about Rs 20. Replace the numbers with your own, and check the result against what you charge for the wrap.

Make it spicy

Stir 1 or 2 tablespoons of chilli garlic sauce into 200 g of either sauce. Add a little at a time. Orino chilli garlic sauce comes in a 4 kg pouch and in 9 g sachets. For more ideas, read our guide on chilli garlic sauce in a restaurant kitchen.

Serving ideas

• Fries with a small bowl of garlic mayo.
• Chicken shawarma with creamy shawarma sauce, pickles and fries inside the wrap.
• Grilled chicken or kebabs with garlic mayo on the side.
• A sandwich with garlic mayo on both slices of bread.
• Loaded fries with garlic mayo and a drizzle of chilli garlic sauce.

A simple standard operating procedure

A written method keeps the sauce the same no matter who makes it.

1. Wash hands, wear gloves and use clean tools.
2. Weigh each ingredient. Do not guess.
3. Mix in a clean, lidded container.
4. Label the container with the sauce name, the date and your initials.
5. Put it in the fridge straight away.
6. Use a clean spoon or ladle for every portion.
7. Throw the batch away at the time your own food safety rules say, and make a fresh one.

Tips for a busy kitchen

1. Weigh the ingredients the first time and write the recipe on a card, so every cook makes the same sauce.
2. Make small batches. A fresh batch tastes better and is easier to keep safe than one big tub.
3. Use a squeeze bottle or a ladle that matches your portion.
4. Taste a spoonful before the first service of the day.
5. Keep the sauce chilled on the line, in a bowl set in ice if the counter is warm.

Food safety basics

Raw garlic and mayonnaise need cold storage. Keep the sauce covered in the fridge, do not leave it out for long on the counter, and follow your own kitchen's food safety rules for how many days you keep it. If you are not sure, make a fresh batch. Never top up an old batch with a fresh one.

Where to get the mayonnaise

If you want a consistent mayonnaise base in 4 kg pouches for a high-volume menu, ask the sales team for a quote. You can send an enquiry or read the restaurant supply page.