Halal Cart-Inspired Crispy Shawarma-Spiced Bean Bowl

episode #16 of 30-minute budget meals!

Happy Friday!

I managed to get in some rest this week, but somehow, I am still off to the races! I feel a little off mood-wise today, but I’m going up to Santa Barbara to watch Grant perform again, and then I get to get back to ballet this weekend after taking last week off.

This week’s 30-minute budget meal recipe is making me nostalgic for my college days. Back when I lived in NYC, I lived for halal cart chicken and rice. I loved how you could order a big, nourishing bowl of spiced chicken, seasoned rice, and that creamy white sauce at any time of the day —I’m looking at you 2am drunchies. I would get on even get the subway for 45 minutes and wait in line for an hour to just to try the supposed best chicken and rice in the city (worth it).

I’m not going to try and pretend that this recipe is as good as the original ones in New York City, but I will say, the flavors and composition of this dish are inspired by the Big Apple classic.

I went vegetarian here, using white beans instead of chicken, but seasoning them with shawarma-inspired spices. The rice is simply cooked with turmeric and cumin, and the white sauce is made with just Greek yogurt, lemon, vinegar, and dried parsley. Hey, this is a budget meal series after all!

The key here is that the beans are baked to crispy perfection, giving a bit of texture to the meal. The ingredients list may look long for a budget meal, but it’s deceiving: it’s mostly spices you have in your pantry to give this rice and beans meal some added flavor.

RECIPE!

Halal Cart-Inspired Crispy Shawarma-Spiced Bean Bowl

Ingredients (serves 2)