Halal Cart Style Chicken and Rice

Halal Cart Style Chicken and Rice

My daughter told me that she was making Halal Cart Style Chicken and Rice for dinner and I said… I’m in! Pass on the recipe! 

With everything that’s happening in NYC and the world right now – it’s important to cook foods that have the ability to stir up feelings of comfort and happy memories. Halal Cart Chicken and Rice is one of those foods for me – which is kind of like a mini flavor vacation!

The inspiration for the chicken and rice recipe is from Serious Eats and the white sauce is from Burnt My Fingers. I did cut the recipe in half and found it to worked perfectly for my family of 2. And because my husband proclaimed this to be a KEEPER. I felt it was necessary to document it so I could repeat it.

You might think about skipping it, but don't. 

Iceberg lettuce and tomatoes are an important addition.

My notes to you:

• I used skin on chicken and cooked them skin side down first and the skin got deliciously crispy.
• You don't need to add oil to the pan if you use skin on chicken.
• If you don't have turmeric,skip it. Your rice will be white instead of yellow,but it will still be very tasty.

A cast iron skillet is perfect for cooking this chicken.

Halal Cart Style Chicken and Rice

For the CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Chicken Marinade

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

2 cloves garlic, rough chop

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. Black pepper

Mix marinade ingredients together and marinate chicken with HALF the marinade, about 2 Tbsp. – for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. It won’t seem like enough marinade for the chicken but it is. Reserve the other half of the marinade to toss with your cooked chicken later – this step adds a lot of flavor.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels if needed. Season with kosher salt and pepper, going heavy on the pepper.

Heat about 1-2 Tbsp.oil in a cast iron or steel skillet over med-high heat until it is lightly smoking. Add the chicken pieces and cook without disturbing until they are lightly browned on the first side, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken and reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Let chicken cool for about 15 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle; then rough chop into 1/2 to 1/4 inch chunks. Place in a bowl and toss with the other 1/2 of the marinade. Cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

To Serve

Return the entire contents of the bowl to the same skillet (that has the crusty bits of deliciousness stuck to the bottom) and cook over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Place chicken over rice and squirt with white sauce.

For the RICE

1 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1/8 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 cup Basmati or long grain rice

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat in a pot that is about 3 times larger than the amount of rice and water, about 1-1/2 qts. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook for 15 minutes undisturbed. Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes.

WHITE SAUCE

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. water

Mix ingredients together and drizzle or squirt over chicken and rice.