Description
Halal cart lamb over rice is a famous Middle Eastern-style lamb platter served with lamb meat, turmeric rice, sauces, and salad. It is the most famous street food in NYC halal trucks, especially The Halal Guys!
According to Wikipedia Reports, Muslims contribute 9% of the total New York population. Since Muslims are a significant part of the NYC population and a third large ethnic group, we have seen many halal trucks in the city. These carts are popular because of their diverse cultural foods and cuisine.
The question arises of how I explore this delicious platter. I have always loved these trucks’ Middle Eastern lamb and rice recipe and have been their frequent customer since 2016. I met a Hijabi seller, Lyla, who serves these chicken and lamb gyro platters there. Lyla invited me to her house and served me a meal. The curiosity of my inner chef rises, and I requested her to tell me the secret recipe. She laughed and said that the taste comes from love and dedication. We made the recipe together, and it turned out amazing.
Cooked lamb meat, turmeric rice, white sauce, hot sauce, salad, and lettuce are all in one platter, making it a perfect lunch or dinner. Lamb meat is blended with onion, black pepper, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, lime juice, and breadcrumbs until smooth. The baked meat is much like a meatloaf when baked, which is cut into cube-shaped slices and then seared on a grill pan. This alone can be served as dinner, but the platter just hit different!
Ingredients
For Lamb preparation:
- 2 lb. Lamb meat, minced
- 1 medium white Onion
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Butter
For Salad and Greens:
- 2 cups shredded Iceberg lettuce
- 2 diced cucumbers
- 2 diced tomatoes, seeds removed
- 1 cup boiled chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
- 1 tsp lime juice
For Turmeric Rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 15 minutes
- 2 tbsp butter or ghee
- 1 chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp chicken powder or chicken cube
- 2 tsp turmeric or 3–4 saffron strands
- 2 ½ cup boiling water
- 1 tsp salt
For Yogurt Sauce:
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Red Sauce (optional)
- 1 red jalapeño pepper
- 4–5 Red chilies soaked in water
- 1 medium red tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp Minced garlic
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- Salt, black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Lamb: Blend minced lamb meat, chopped onion, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika powder, cumin powder, dried oregano, breadcrumbs, lime juice, and olive oil in a grinder until smooth. Grease a baking dish with butter, transfer it to the baking dish, and flatten the top. Bake the lamb loaf for 45 minutes at 360°F. Once the lamb meat is baked, cut the loaf into cubes and sear for 2-3 minutes on a butter-greased grill pan set to medium heat. Sear the lamb meat until the outsides are crisp and brown. Cover and set aside the cooked lamb until ready to serve on a platter.
- Prepare Salad and Iceberg Lettuce: Toss the diced cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and boiled chickpeas in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice and the salad is ready. Shred the iceberg lettuce and keep it aside on a separate plate.
- Prepare Turmeric Rice: Wash and soak the basmati rice for 15 minutes before cooking. Set the nonstick pan on medium heat and add butter or ghee. Sauté the chopped onion in butter until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cardamom in it and cook fragrant rice. Stir it for 1 minute and pour hot boiling water along with cumin powder, chicken powder, turmeric, and salt. When it starts boiling and bubbling, add the soaked basmati rice. Bring it to a simmer and reduce the water for 3-4 minutes. Once the water is reduced, cover and set the flame to low. Cook rice on a low flame for 4-5 minutes until fully cooked. Fluffy turmeric rice is ready to serve on a platter.
- Prepare Yogurt Sauce: Mix Greek yogurt, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Add water to adjust the consistency. Store yogurt sauce in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Prepare Red Sauce: Blend the red chilies, jalapeño, tomato, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and white vinegar until smooth sauce is formed.
- Assemble the Platter: Divide the rice, salad, and chopped lettuce into four platters. Place the lamb chunks on each platter. Drizzle with yogurt and red sauce. Enjoy the platter.
Notes
- You can prepare the seasoned minced lamb meat ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight vessel. Use when you want to make the sauce.
- Lettuce is delicate to handle and becomes soggy after cutting due to moisture. Try to cut the lettuce right when you are about to assemble the lamb over rice.
- The cooked lamb loaf is also a complete meal, so if you are not in the mood to cook, you can simply serve the cooked lamb meat over rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Category: Meal
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern