Halal Cart Chicken Recipes

HALAL CART CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and coriander in a blender; blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag; pour in blended marinade and seal. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
• Whisk yogurt, sriracha sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper together to make the sauce. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Cook skin-side down until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes more.
• Let chicken for 5 to 10 minutes, then chop into chunks.
• Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add turmeric and cumin; cook and stir until fragrant. Add rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about 4 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and cook until broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Remove Dutch oven from the heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Divide rice and chicken among serving bowls. Drizzle yogurt sauce on top.

SERIOUS EATS' HALAL CART-STYLE CHICKEN AND RICE WITH WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• For the chicken: Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth. Season the marinade to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add half of the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator). Turn the chicken to coat, seal the bag, and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade (see Note).
• Remove the chicken from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Season with kosher salt and pepper, going heavy on the pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-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. Using tongs, flip the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the center of each thigh registers 165°F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• Using a chef's knife, roughly chop the chicken into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining marinade, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate while you cook the rice and prepare the sauce.
• For the rice: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. 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. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
• For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt.
• To serve: Return the entire contents of the chicken bowl (chicken, marinade, and all juices) to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. To serve, divide the rice, lettuce, tomato, and toasted pita bread evenly among four to six plates. Pile the chicken on top of the rice. Top with the white sauce and hot sauce. Serve immediately, passing extra sauce at the table.

HALAL CART LAMB

Steps:

• Put the cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, coriander, sumac, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric and garlic in a large bowl and stir well. Add the lamb and give it a good stir to make sure all the pieces are coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add half of the lamb and spread it into one layer, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is fully cooked, brown and caramelized on all sides, about 15 minutes. Toss the lamb with 1/2 teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining lamb. Serve with yellow rice, white sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and pita.