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ny street cart halal chicken recipe
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NY Street Cart Halal Chicken

That chicken bowl you get from the vendors in NYC - the only thing missing is the styrofoam or aluminum container.
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Prep Time20 minutes
Active Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3-5 lbs Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs
  • 1 package Pita or Naan or any flatbread

Marinade for the Chicken

  • 1.5 tsp Cumin Seed
  • 1 tsp cured sumac or regular but add more salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp granulated onion
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 5 whole garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp dried Oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp mayo or sour cream or greek yogurt

Yellow Rice

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion rough chopped
  • 2 cups Basmati rice or 5 minute white rice suffices
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 2 cups Rice basmati is traditional
  • Chicken broth or water based on rice packaging instructions

Red Sauce

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp cayenne
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp white sugar
  • 3 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Pinch of salt, to taste

White sauce

  • 6 tbsp mayo
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/4 tsp cured sumac
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 whole garlic clove minced
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp white sugar
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

Prep Chicken Thighs and Marinate

  • Take chicken thighs out of package, pat dry with paper towel.
  • Slice into bite sized pieces and then put into a large bowl.
  • Grab a pestle and mortar or a food processor and combine the following.
    1.5 tsp Cumin Seed, 1 tsp cured sumac, 1/4 tsp granulated onion, 1 tsp ground coriander, 5 whole garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried Oregano, 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Grind or mix until you have a paste-like consistency, then add to this mixture 2 tbsp of lemon juice.
  • Then transfer this paste to a bowl and mix together with 2 tbsp of mayo OR sour cream OR greek yogurt.
  • Then take this marinade and mix it with your chicken thighs.
  • You could opt to use this right away or marinate for up to 24 hours.

Make the Red Sauce

  • In a bowl or blender combine the following.
    1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2 tbsp cayenne, 1.5 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp white sugar, 3 tsp red pepper flakes, 1.5 tbsp lemon juice, Pinch of salt, to taste
  • Then transfer to a skillet over medium heat and allow to simmer for ~8-10 minutes until reduced.
    Drag a spatula through the center; If the centers never meet in the middle, it's thick enough.
  • Transfer to a bowl or squirt bottle for later.
    This sauce is meant to be quite spicy.

Make the White Sauce

  • In a bowl combine the following.
    6 tbsp mayo, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1/4 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp cured sumac, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 3/4 tsp white sugar, Salt to taste, 1 whole garlic clove
  • There's no need to heat this mixture. Just ensure it's well combined.
    Taste and season with salt.
    This sauce is meant to be creamy and tangy.

Make the Yellow Rice

  • To a medium pot over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of unsalted butter.
  • Take a medium onion and rough chop (~1 cup).
  • Once butter is melted and frothing, add onion and allow to cook down until translucent and fragrant (~1 minute).
  • Then add your spices and aromatics. Allow these to bloom and become fragrant (~30 seconds).
    1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp paprika, 1 whole bay leaf
  • Then add 2 cups of rice and allow to toast for ~3 minutes - ensuring that you're stirring regularly and mixing with the spices and onions.
    2 cups Basmati rice or 5 minute white rice suffices
  • Once toasted, add chicken broth based on the instructions on your packaging for Rice : Water ratio.
  • Bring this to a boil, then drop the heat to the lowest setting.
  • Cover and allow to simmer based on instructions on the packaging and then fluff.

Sear the Chicken

  • In a skillet over medium-heat, add all your chicken thighs and allow to sear (~6-10 minutes).
    There's also no need to add oil, the reason we used mayo is because it contains lots of oil.
  • The goal is to develop some color and reach ~170F+ internal temperature.
  • Once you're happy with the color, take off to rest for ~ 5minutes.

Assemble Your Bowl

  • Scoop your rice and line the bottom of your bowl.
  • Add some chicken and your favorite veggies - I used iceberg lettuce and tomatoes that I had.
  • I used store bought naan which I baked @ 400F for 3 minutes.
  • Then on the side in small bowls or on top, add your sauces.