Love making this bowl style food especially when it’s just dinner for two. Love the garlicky creamy yogurt sauce with all the other flavors in the dish and I chose to roast my chickpeas as they add a little crunch. The addition of turmeric and cumin to the rice make it wonderfully aromatic and delicious. The inspiration for these bowls is from a website Serious Eats. They have a lot of wonderful recipes!

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

for the chicken:

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup light olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 -2 pounds chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

for the rice:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 onion minced
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain or Basmati rice
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

for serving:

  • 1 shredded romaine lettuce
  • Steamed green beans
  • 1 cup chickpeas (roasted or boiled)
  • Steamed green beans
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 -2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • lightly toasted pita bread
  • preferred hot sauce, for serving ( I used sriracha)

Directions:

for the chicken and chickpeas:

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Whisk together olive oil, coriander, oregano, garlic. lemon and olive oil. Transfer chicken to a ziplock bag along with marinade and lemon halves and seal the bag. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400. Once oven is heated, Remove the chicken from the bag and place chicken in a roasting pan with accumulated marinade and bake for about 45 minutes or internal temperature is 165.

While chicken is baking, roast your chickpeas. Toss in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven while chicken finishes cooking.

Once chicken is cool enough to handle, cut chicken in small bite size strips, remove skin as desired and using your fingers, remove chicken from the bones and set aside while you build your bowl.

for the rice:

While chicken is roasting, prepare your rice. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and sauté until fragrant and translucent. Next add the rice, turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, stirring to coat. Stir frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. and add the stock. 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. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the liquid is absorbed and chicken finishes cooking.

for sauce:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for sauce and whisk until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

assemble bowls:

To serve, line your bowl with baby spinach, divide the rice, lettuce, tomato, chickpeas, steamed green beans and toasted pita bread evenly among your bowls with chicken in the center. Top with the white sauce and hot sauce as desired and enjoy!