Chicken Over Rice (NY Halal Cart Special)

First ever dish that I tried when I came to USA in 2008 was the famous "Chicken Over Rice". This particular dish is Mediterranean Halal served by New York's famous food carts. It is a combination of Meat, Rice, Salad and Pita bread. The meat served is usually Chicken or Lamb Gyro and the meat cuts is famously called as "Shawarma" which are thin slices of meat shaved off the cooked surface while it is continuously rotating. The smell of Shawarma engulfs the entire New York City as there is at least one Halal Food Cart in every Street or Avenue of New York. This entire rice bowl is the most affordable and most filling food one can have and thus it was very famous among us students. For people who do not eat meat, there is a substitution of "Falafel" with Rice and Salad. So every one can enjoy food from these food carts. For those who are not aware of Falafel, it is deep fried fritter made from ground chickpeas and fava beans similar to our "Kotimbir Vadi" or "Coriander Pakodas". I prepared the traditional Chicken Over Rice and it turned out really good for the first time.

Let's have a look at the recipe:

Ingredients for Chicken:

2 Chicken Breasts

2 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder

1 tbsp Garlic Paste (I used Ginger Garlic Paste)

1 tbsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Rock Salt

1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp Curd (make sure to avoid water)

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Salt

Ingredients for White Sauce: (Also can use store bought Tzatziki Sauce)

2 tbsp Mayonnaise

3 tbsp Curd (Avoid water)

1/4 tsp Vinegar

1/4 tsp Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder

1 tbsp Cilantro/Parsley

1 tsp Garlic Juice ( I used Garlic Powder)

1 tsp Cumin Powder

Salt to Taste

Ingredients for Red Sauce (Harissa Sauce):

Soak 5-6 Kashmiri Red Chilies for 4 hours

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Black Pepper Powder

2 tsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Rock Salt

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Sugar

Salt

3 Garlic Cloves

Ingredients for Yellow Rice:

2 tbsp Ghee

2 Cups Basmati Rice (Washed and Straiend)

3 Cups Hot Water

3 tsbp Chopped Onion

1/4 tsp Saffron

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 Cloves

1 Green Cardamon

Salt

Ingredients for Salad:

Chopped Lettuce

Chopped Tomato

Method:

Marinate the chicken using the mentioned ingredients in chicken section and keep it aside for atleast 3 hours.

In a pan add 2 tbsp Oil and cook the chicken on both sides until soft and then remove it on a cutting board and cut it into small bite sizes.

Keep it aside.

Using the ingredients in the section for White Sauce, prepare the sauce and keep it aside.

Using the ingredients in the section for Red Sauce, put all ingredients in a mixer and grind it to fine paste. If required add Water in intervals to help with grinding the mixture to fine paste.

In a pot add 2 tbsp Ghee and wait until its warm. Add cloves and green cardamom and wait until it releases aroma.

Add Chopped onion and mix well. After 5 mins add turmeric powder and mix well.

Let the onions cook for 5 mins and then add strained rice to the pot and mix delicately. Make sure not to break the grain of rice.

Add 3 cups of hot water and give it a delicate mix.

Add Saffron and Salt and mix the ingredients with a delicate hand.

Cover the pot and let the rice cook for 10-15 mins on medium flame. 

Remove the lid and check the rice, turn off the flame and cover the pot and let the rice rest.

Now assemble all ingredients in a bowl and serve hot.