In my travels across the globe, I have come across many halal variations of the typical meals served in many homes, cafes, and restaurants. When I was in New York City, I loved stopping by the carts — a typical sight — where they served delicious chicken and rice from lunchtime to late at night. The chicken is usually marinated using a blend of herbs, spices, and lemon, the sauce white and creamy, and the rice golden in color.
The recipe calls to mind a typical Manhattan halal cart chicken and rice with white sauce delicacy. One thing you will always notice about Manhattan is the mouth-watering savory scents coming from halal carts spread across the city.
To get a good taste of this dish, you can either travel to Midtown NYC or simply create your own version at home using my simple cart-style halal chicken rice with white sauce recipe.
Halal Cart Chicken and Rice with White Sauce Ingredients
You’ll need ingredients for the chicken, rice, and sauce.
For the chicken you’ll need the following:
- 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs without the skin and excess fat. This can be around 6 to 8 pieces depending on size.
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- Half teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon oregano well chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- A quarter cup of olive oil
- A tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil
For the preparation of rice, you’ll need:
- One and a half cup of Basmati or long-grain rice
- Half a teaspoon of turmeric
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- A quarter teaspoon of ground cumin
- Two and a half cup of chicken broth
- Ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
For the sauce you’ll require:
- Half cup of mayonnaise
- Half cup of Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- A quarter cup of chopped parsley
- Ground black pepper and kosher salt
Recipe:
Blend the lemon juice, coriander, oregano, garlic, and olive oil then season the marinade with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Put the chicken and half of the marinade in a zip-lock bag and leave them in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and dry with paper towels. Heat oil, add the chicken pieces, and cook for about 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove the chicken from your skillet and let it cool for around 5 minutes and chop it into slices on a cutting board.
For the rice, melt the butter, add turmeric and cumin, then cook the mixture until fragrant but not browned. Add the rice and chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Boil the rice until all the water is completely absorbed.
The white sauce is easy too — mix the mayonnaise with yoghurt, then add white vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, black pepper, salt and lastly, the chopped parsley.
Get The Best Taste With Cedric Okirina
It’s quick to prepare meals when you have easy recipes to follow. Plus, you can find halal meat products anywhere in the world so whipping up halal meals can actually be a cup of tea! if you are looking for hala versions of American cuisine, keto diet or more, you can browse more of my — chef Cedric Okiorina’s — recipes online!