Marsha's "NYC Street Food" Chicken and Rice with Veggies

I came across a recipe from Tasty for NYC Street Food Chicken and Rice that looked good. I wanted to make it a more complete meal though, so I added some veggies to mine, plus my rice needed some additional water to get fully cooked. This would be good as a chicken and rice bowl, or scooped into a tortilla. The chicken needs to marinate, so plan for some extra time there, depending on how long you want it to marinate for added flavor. My method of preparation is just a bit different than Tastey's version, making this "Marsha's" version of NYC Street Food Chicken and Rice.

Marsha's "NYC Street Food" Chicken and Rice with Veggies

Servings:  4

INGREDIENTS

* For the white sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)

1 lemon, juiced

½-1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

½ teaspoon salt

For the chicken and marinade:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup olive oil

For the rice:

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups basmati or long grain white rice

2+ cups chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt

**Shredded or finely diced carrots, to taste

**Frozen peas, to taste

Additional optional ingredients:

Sriracha, harissa or your favorite hot sauce (optional to serve)

Fresh parsley (optional for garnish)

PREPARATION

1. Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.   

2. Toss chicken with lemon juice, oregano, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil.  Marinade at least 15 minutes, an hour is ideal.

3. Heat a large pot over high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom lightly.  

4. Cook the chicken in the preheated pot in batches until done. Remove chicken from pan, set aside and keep warm. I put mine in the oven on the warm-and-hold setting covered in some foil to keep the chicken from drying out.

5. In the same pot you cooked the chicken, add the butter, rice, turmeric, cumin and any hard veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, etc.).  Stir to coat rice, cook about 1-2 minutes.  

6. Add chicken stock and salt and bring to a boil.

7. Turn heat down to low, cover and cook 15 minutes.  If the rice is not yet tender and the liquid seems mostly gone, you may need to add just a touch more broth or water to finish the cooking process.

8.When rice is done, add frozen peas to the rice mixture (peas will gently thaw from the heat of the rice in a minute or two without over cooking). Fluff with a fork when finished and remove from heat. (If I was using canned corn, I would add a handful of corn at the same time as the peas.) 

9. When everything is done, dice the warm chicken into fork sized pieces.

10. Serve chicken pieces on top of rice (or mixed in), drizzle with the white sauce and add hot sauce if desired.  

11. Enjoy!

* This recipe calls for a unique and flavorful white sauce. It's tangy and sour, and I felt like I needed just the smallest drizzle to add an interesting flavor to this dish. It really grew on me, but it was STRONG. If the yogurt white sauce is not your cup of tea, you could easily replace it with sour cream or ranch dressing instead. But be brave and give it a try (a small portion try) before you decide. :)

**How many veggies you add is completely up to you. I have a baggie of pre-shredded carrots that I use for salads, and so I tossed a handful in. I also just used a handful of frozen peas. Another yummy addition might be corn kernels, finely diced celery, or even colorful peppers. Scott liked it when I made it with red, yellow and orange peppers, but I did not because it was too strong with the pepper flavor. So, for our family, go gently with the peppers.

For the original recipe and video, go here:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/emilyhorng/travel-to-new-york-city-without-leaving-your-house-with-this?bffbtasty&utm_term=.jpjGRyKLL#.lkaJ8vLkk