Halal Cart Vegan “Chicken” Over Rice

Halal cart style vegan “chicken” over rice with flavorful, marinated tofu plated over fluffy yellow rice drizzled with a vegan creamy white sauce – all made from scratch!

My Halal Cart Chicken Over Rice recipe was such a hit that I’ve gotten numerous requests for a vegan version. So, of course, I went back to my kitchen and played around with the original recipe! Before you roll your eyes and tell me, Falafel over Rice is the vegan version – no, it’s not. The marinade that the Chicken Platter uses is what makes it my favorite dish at halal carts. Falafel is a completely different flavor profile from the marinated chicken. The goal of this recipe is to make a vegan platter with the same flavor profile as Halal Cart Chicken over Rice! Not to mention, this includes a vegan white sauce as well.

Since there is no equivalent version of this vegan platter at Halal Guys, I can’t give you an exact caloric comparison. But, for context, this recipe is much lighter on the oil and has 24 grams of Protein! It’s also lighter on the calories compared to the Halal Guys Chicken Platter (800+ calories depending on how much chicken they put on the platter and how much white sauce you get) versus My Vegan Recipe (489 calories with the White Sauce).

The “Chicken” Replacement

In the place of chicken, I use extra firm tofu that has been lightly pressed. If you’re vegetarian, you can also use Paneer, which would make a delicious meal! I would not recommend Tempeh or Seitan because they don’t absorb flavor as well.

Differences From The Chicken Platter

Although most of the recipe is pretty much identical to the Chicken over Rice recipe, I’ve made a one minor change that works better while using Tofu.

• The Tofu is baked, whereas the Chicken was pan fried. The reason for this, is that Tofu easily absorbs oil and can take a lot of oil to crisp up on a pan without sticking.

Fluffy Yellow Rice

There are many possible ways to cook rice, but for this recipe we will be doing it stovetop. Different halal carts make yellow rice differently, so this recipe will be a very basic one. My favorite type of rice to use for this is long grain white basmati rice because that is what is commonly used at Halal Carts and results in the best texture. If you don’t have basmati rice readily available, you can use jasmine rice!

Vegan White Sauce

The simplest part of this dish is the white sauce. Just add some vegan mayo, dairy-free yogurt, lemon juice, sugar and parsley to a bowl with a pinch of salt and mix! I don’t have a red sauce recipe, but here’s one that I found on the internet that you might want to take a stab at.

Making This For More Than One Person?

It’s super easy – just multiply the measurements by the number of people you are cooking for! This recipe doubles and quadruples perfectly.

More Vegan Weeknight Meals

Copycat Chipotle Sofritas

Protein Packed Black-Eyed Peas Chaat

Vegan “Egg” Salad

Halal Cart Vegan “Chicken” Over Rice (For One)

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★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews

• Total Time: 45
• Yield: 1 Bowl 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Vegan “Chicken” Over Rice With Flavorful, Marinated Tofu Plated Over Fluffy Yellow Rice Drizzled With A Vegan Creamy White Sauce – All Made From Scratch!

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Ingredients

Scale

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• 6 oz Extra Firm Tofu (House Foods Company)

For the Marinade

• 2 tsp garlic, very finely minced
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp vegan yogurt
• ¼ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp red chili powder
• ⅛ tsp cumin powder
• ⅛ tsp garam masala or allspice
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp turmeric

For the Yellow Rice

• ⅓ cup long grain basmati rice (the rice is white until you add turmeric)
• ⅔ cup Veggie Broth (or Water)
• ½ tsp oil
• ⅛ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp cumin powder

For the White Sauce (makes ¼ cup)

• 1 tbsp vegan mayo
• 3 tbsp vegan yogurt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp vinegar, optional
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ⅛ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp parsley
• ⅛ tsp salt

Garnishes

• 1/2 cup Lettuce, shredded
  
• Chopped Tomatoes

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Instructions

1. Marinating the Tofu: Cut the tofu into small cubes. Use a paper towel to blot dry my gently pressing for 1-2 minutes. To a bowl, add the tofu and all the marinade ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hours.
2. Making the White Sauce: Mix together all the white sauce ingredients and refrigerate. If the sauce is too thick, keep adding 1-2 tsp of water and mix until it is a more drizzlable consistency.
3. Cooking the Rice: In a small pot or saucepan, heat the oil. Add in the turmeric, salt and cumin. Toast for 1 minute, then add the rice. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the rice slightly browns. Add in the salt and broth (or water). Bring everything to a boil, then immediately cover with a lid and bring the heat to low. Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
4. Airfry or Bake Tofu: While the rice cooks, bake or airfry the tofu for 15-20 minutes at 400F. Flip halfway through. Feel free to cook longer to desired crispiness.
5. Plating the Platter: First, spread the rice out on your plate. Then add the tofu to one side and the lettuce & tomato to the other side. Drizzle the white sauce generously over the platter and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 30
• Category: Copycat Recipes
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Mediterranean