The Ultimate Guide to Making the Perfect Rice Bowl: Street carts are open carts on the street that millions of people pass daily, so I was afraid to eat from them. Not food trucks, and unsanitary. Plus, chicken and rice—how great? I caved after hearing him praise the food, flavors, and how much he knew I’d like it.
My first meal
My first street cart meal was a rice bowl. Due to late-night bar visits, the line for street cart meals was extremely long. Our friend, a frequent cart eater, helped us get to the front of the line. I saw some unfamiliar terms on the simple menu when we ordered. I was overwhelmed and confused immediately.
This felt like the Seinfield episode with the Soup Guy where everyone speaks a secret code, like ordering a cheesesteak in Philly. I was confused about red and white sauces. White sauce contains what? How spicy is red sauce? Can I get it with some rice and mostly salad? Chicken or falafel? Could I have both?
Finally, unable to decide, I advised less 3M to order and share his plate. He had a bowl with chicken, falafel, rice, and red and white sauce. When Foods asked me to create a recipe using their products, I was immediately drawn to the falafel and knew I wanted to remake the New York street cart rice bowls.
I buy falafel even when I’m not working with them on recipes because I love it. Both Original, Three Cheese, Garlic & Herb, and Turmeric (spicy) are available. Both are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of funky fillers like other falafels. Additionally, Austin-based Afia Foods began as a food truck on Burnet Road.
3M and I purchase Foods falafel at HEB for snacking, salad toppings, and Za’atar Cauliflower Rice & Falafel Power Bowls. Their flavor was ideal for my Street-Cart Style Falafel & Rice Bowls.
Ingredient for the rice
- 1 T avocado oil
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2½ cups chicken broth
For the white sauce
- ¾ cup 2% greek yogurt
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 T chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
To assemble
- 4 8-minute eggs
- 1 small head of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- ½ cup diced tomato
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- ¼ cup pickled radishes, using this method
- 12 Afia falafel, original or turmeric
- Sriracha or harissa
Making Street-Cart-Style Falafel and Rice Bowls
Before adding liquid, I toast the rice in avocado oil, cumin, and turmeric for my Street-Cart Style Falafel and Rice Bowls to develop flavor. I use chicken stock instead of water. This gives the rice a street-cart yellow color and makes it a flavorful and comforting base for falafel.
A small side of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, green onions, tomatoes, and homemade quick-pickled radishes is served. I added a homemade white sauce made with Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice for tang, olive oil, salt, and white pepper (because I hate black pepper in white sauces).
I substituted Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha, another Austin-based spicy red sauce. If you have harissa, use it instead of sriracha as your red sauce. Authenticity would increase. Finally, I added an 8-minute egg with a gooey yolk to the falafel and rice as my own twist. Because egg on top improves everything!
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add oil to a large lidded saucepan and heat over medium-high for 1 minute to make rice. Stir in the cumin and turmeric and toast for 1-2 minutes. Stir in rice and toast for 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to broth. Let the rice boil, then simmer covered. Cover and simmer rice for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the rice from the heat and let it rest for 15 more minutes to absorb the water and cook through. Keep warm until serving.
- While rice cooks, make 8-minute eggs. Boil 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Use a slotted spoon to gently add eggs to boiling water. Set an 8-minute timer and cook eggs in medium-boiling water. Place a large bowl of ice-filled water (~6 cups) next to the stove while the eggs cook.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them in the ice water when the timer goes off. After cooling in ice water for 5 minutes, gently peel and cut the eggs in half.
- Cook falafel per package instructions.
- Before assembling, whisk together all the white sauce ingredients, adding chicken broth as needed to reach your desired drizzling consistency.
- Divide the rice into four bowls, top with warm falafel, and add the side salad (lettuce, onions, cucumber tomato, pickled radishes). Top with an 8-minute egg and white sauce or sriracha.