Well, friends, Halal-Inspired Cart Chicken and Rice may not be one of my prettiest posts on the blog, but it sure is one of the tastiest.
So, stay with me.
Lock Every Door is set in New York City, one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, it’s also home to some seriously cheap (and delicious!) eats — if you know where to find them.
Fortunately, you don’t have to look much farther than every other street corner since food trucks litter the sidewalks by the dozen. Although flat-broke Jules is always on the hunt for a cheap meal, she shockingly never once mentions hitting up the halal NYC food trucks.
I figured my book-inspired recipe for Lock Every Door would rectify the situation and give her the $5 amazeballs meal she failed to give herself.
And, yes, Halal-Inspired Chicken and Rice is most definitely “amazeballs.”
Shockingly, I had it for the first time only a little over a year ago. My co-worker enticed me to abandon my usual bag lunch by promising me an insanely cheap meal of chicken, rice, and salad served up in epic, belly-busting proportions.
She did not lie. I’m now a sucker for one particular street cart just down the street from my office.
However, you don’t have to schlep all the way into New York City for this classic street fare.
My recipe for Halal-Inspired Chicken and Rice tastes just like the real thing. Wait, scratch that — I think it’s better because I know exactly what’s going into my meal.
Admittedly, some food trucks are better than others; you learn through a combo of trial and error and friend recommendations which ones to frequent and which ones to stay away from.
However, you can avoid all this hoopla and uncertainty by making your own version of food truck classic right at home.
The beauty of this meal is that everything is kinda jumbled together. Individually, each component might be pretty simple, but they create a flavor explosion when they combine.
Serve the juicy, herbalicious, marinated chicken and fragrant basmati rice up next to a heaping salad of crisp iceberg lettuce and chopped tomatoes.
Then — here comes the best part — you smother it all in a creamy, tangy white sauce made from Greek yogurt.
I recommend piling the chicken, the rice, and the salad on one big plate, like you’d get if you ordered the dish directly from a street cart. Then, push your fork around your plate so you get a bit of everything in one big bite.
Although this recipe has a few moving parts, it’s super easy to follow. I’d also like to point out that the recipe for preparing the rice is pretty much foolproof.
I suck at making rice on the stove. For reals. I usually only make it in a rice cooker, and even then, it still usually starts to burn on the bottom.
However, the recipe for cooking this basmati turmeric rice is pure magic. The rice turns out perfectly dry and fluffy every time, and that bright yellow color just looks so warm and inviting.
Y’know….for those of you who have read Lock Every Door…I want you to know that I originally thought of making a steak and kidney pie for my book-inspired recipe. *grins wickedly* But, I decided against it. YOU’RE WELCOME.
There’s no way in h-e-double hockey sticks I’d ever put that in my mouth (that’s what she said…), and I figured most of you would feel the same way.
I have no qualms, however, about downing every last scrap of this scrumptious Halal-Inspired Chicken and Rice. Once you taste it, I’m sure you’ll agree!
NYC Street Cart Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade Ingredients
- 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
Rice Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
White Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp milk
Salad Ingredients
- one head iceberg lettuce
- 2-3 medium tomatoes, diced
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut chicken breasts into chunks and place in a large Ziploc bag.
- Combine the first seven ingredients of the chicken marinade in a small food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour HALF the marinade into a small container. Cover with lid or plastic wrap, then place in the fridge.
- Pour the remaining half of the marinade over the chicken in the Ziploc bag. Close the bag and massage so that the marinade coats the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
- Chop iceberg lettuce into thin slices and store in fridge for later.
- Chop tomatoes and store in fridge for later.
- Make the white sauce: combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir together. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. Cover and place in fridge until ready to serve the meal.
RICE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric and cumin, stir, and cook one minute until fragrant.
- Add the rice, salt, and ground black pepper to the pot and stir to coat. Cook rice four minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted.
- Stir in the chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer, and let rice cook 15 minutes without disturbing it. (Seriously. Do not lift the cover!)
- Remove the covered pot from the heat and turn off the stove. Let rice rest in the pot, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.
CHICKEN COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- While the rice is cooking, make the chicken. Heat a large, clean skillet over high heat.
- Pour the marinated chicken and any marinade from the bag into the hot skillet. Spread chicken into a single layer and sear 5-6 minutes, until brown on one side. Flip chicken and cook through, stirring occasionally, another 4-5 minutes.
- Turn heat down to low. Take the container of reserved sauce out of the fridge and pour about half the container over the cooked chicken in the skillet. Toss to combine. Add the rest of the sauce if you want your chicken saucier!
- To serve: Scoop some rice onto a plate, then spoon the chicken over the rice. Add some iceberg lettuce and chopped tomatoes to the plate, then drizzle (or drench!) everything with the white sauce.
