To construct my "knockoff chicken and rice" I created a lettuce base, topped with saffron infused rice mixed with cilantro, and finished with my chicken and veggies. But let's not forget the white sauce garnish. We had "dined" at one of the halal carts a few nights earlier, so we had leftover white sauce in a to-go container perfect for adding to our own meals throughout the week.
For this version I used romaine lettuce. (Here's an unnecessary picture of the pre-assembled lettuce on the plate.)
For the chicken, I chopped some yellow onion, mushrooms, scallions, garlic, and chicken breasts. Add a little olive oil to a skillet, saute the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until softened. Throw in your chicken. Now at this point I added my spices: cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper.
I scooped my rice on top of the lovely bed of lettuce showcased above. Then came the chicken/veggies. And finally what street food meal is complete with the sauce? A little googling yieldss mixed theories as to the contents of this sauce. Some say mayo/vinegar. Some say cucumber/yogurt. Our version of the sauce had many black specks in it (and no cucumber to be found), and the taste was reminiscent of ranch dressing. So use whatever sauces/dressings you like. The lettuce lets you pretend you're having a salad, while the rice reminds you that you're having a heartier meal.
