Whole-poached chicken brings layers of flavor to this fragrant, spiced lentil stew. Topped with fried onions and tomatoes, it’s a filling and deeply flavorful meal.
Poaching a chicken delivers not only meat, but a flavorful broth for cooking the lentils in.
Toasting the spices in oil deepens and releases their flavor more effectively.
The optional step of finely mincing the poached chicken skin and cooking it into the lentils makes a more delicious, satisfying final stew.
Very loosely inspired by a Middle Eastern dish called haleem that comes in many forms but sometimes features meat stewed with spiced lentils and topped with fried onions, this recipe features stewed lentils with a fragrant mix of spices, including coriander seed, cumin, and turmeric. Garlic and ginger provide an aromatic base of flavor.

We start by poaching a whole chicken: the skin is (optionally) minced very finely and added to the lentils as they stew, melding into the mix while adding richness to the dish; the poaching broth is used to cook the lentils themselves, and the meat is shredded and folded into the lentils before serving.

A very hot oven rapidly creates the steam that puffs up the pita.
Avoiding tears on the surface of each dough disk prevents the pitas from bursting and venting the steam in the oven.
Flipping the pita over when placing it on the stone yields an even thickness of the pita walls.
Charring the pitas in a skillet after baking replicates the intense heat of a traditional oven.

Ingredients

1 cup water (8 ounces; 240ml), 105–110°F (41–43°C)
1 tablespoon (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (2 1/2 ounces; 70g)
2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces; 280g), plus more for dusting

Place baked pitas onto towel-lined plate and wrap with the overhanging towel. Repeat with any remaining pitas.

For an extra-charred finish, heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop over high heat until smoking. Working with one pita at a time, briefly heat each side until charred in a few spots, about 30 seconds. Return pita to towel and cover. Repeat with remaining pitas and serve immediately.

Meanwhile, place a baking steel or 12-inch cast iron skillet on the top oven rack and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Line a plate with a large, clean kitchen towel and set aside.

Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and cut into 6 even pieces. Form each dough piece into an even ball. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll each piece of dough into about a 7-inch circle, no more than 1/4 inch thick, taking care not to tear dough and keeping the thickness even all around. Place dough disks on a lightly floured surface, cover with a damp towel, and let proof until slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.

Working with as many pitas as will fit on the steel at once, pick up each pita and place on the steel top side down. (If using a cast iron skillet, bake one pita at a time.) Immediately close the oven door and bake until pitas have puffed and are slightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake.

When kneading the dough, it should be slightly tacky, not dry. This recipe may be doubled. Pitas can be baked ahead of time and frozen, with parchment layered between them, then wrapped in foil and plastic wrap. Defrost, then toast in skillet as per recipe.

Ingredients
One 3 1/2-pound (1.6kg) chicken
1 tablespoon (10g) kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 cup (240ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
One 1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds (680g) green, French green (Le Puy), or yellow lentils
1 bay leaf
2 large (10-ounce; 280g) yellow onions, sliced 1/2-inch-thick
1 pound (450g) plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or cilantro

When lentils are tender and beginning to break down, add shredded chicken and continue to cook, stirring often to prevent sticking and adding poaching liquid or water little by little as needed to keep lentils from becoming overly thick and sludgy, until some of the lentils have begun to break down and thicken the stew, about 15 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf. Season with salt and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large 12-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet, heat remaining 1/2 cup (120ml) oil over high heat until very lightly smoking. Add onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until deeply browned in spots and beginning to soften, about 15 minutes; lower heat as needed to prevent burning. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes begin to break down, about 7 minutes; reduce heat even more as needed to prevent burning. Remove from heat, stir in dill or cilantro, and season with salt to taste.

Ladle lentils into individual serving bowls and top with onion-tomato mixture. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and serve.

While our preferred method for poaching chicken normally calls for an even lower 155°F water temperature for the juiciest and most tender meat, we speed things up here a bit more by cooking it at a sub-simmer (closer to 180°F). The higher heat poaching is fine in this case since the chicken is folded into the stewy lentils which keeps the meat from drying out.

You can also make this recipe vegetarian by cooking the lentils with water and omitting the chicken.

As the lentils finish cooking, we fry sliced onions in plenty of olive oil over high heat—the goal is to get a fried-onion flavor combined with a melting texture—and then cook them down with plum tomatoes for a bright topping that is finished with a handful of fresh herbs—dill or cilantro both work well.

Directions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine chicken with enough water to cover. Add 1 tablespoon (10g) salt and bring to just under a simmer (roughly 180°F/80°C on an instant-read thermometer). Cook, maintaining a sub-simmer as best you can, until chicken registers 160°F (70°C) deep in the thigh, about 45 minutes.

Carefully lift chicken from poaching liquid, allowing it to drain back into pat, then transfer to a work surface and allow to cool. Reserve poaching liquid. Clean the pot or Dutch oven.

In the same pot or Dutch oven, combine 1/2 cup (120ml) oil with garlic and ginger and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until garlic and ginger begin to gently sizzle and are just beginning to turn lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, and pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Paterson is full of markets to stock up on Middle Eastern provisions, but AK Market’s selection is especially impressive. There’s a full compliment of yogurts and cheeses, including hard-to-find nabulsi, a salty semi-soft cheese flavored with nigella seeds, and Istanbuli, a cream-cheese like spread flavored with grassy green chili. Among the dry goods you’ll find excellent hazelnuts, especially fresh and aromatic, alongside all manner of other nuts, legumes, grains, and spices available in bulk at low prices.

AK also has a butcher counter where you’ll find homemade sujuk, a pepperoni-like beef or lamb sausage perked up with chili and garlic. While imported sujuk is relatively common in Middle Eastern markets, AK’s is better—less fatty and harsh-tasting with a snappy casing and fresh meaty flavor. Slice it up and fry it to serve with eggs, or better yet, use it in place of pepperoni on your next pizza. You’ll get great grease cups. While lentils are cooking, remove skin from the poached chicken; if desired, finely mince the chicken skin and add it to the lentils (it will meld into the lentils during cooking and enrich the stew, but you can omit if desired). Pull meat from chicken bones and shred; discard bones.

As a die-hard New Yorker I hate to admit it, but sometimes you gotta go to Jersey.

What does the Garden State have that the Big Apple lacks? For starters, a wealth of space and comparatively affordable housing, two attributes that have helped cities like Edison, Fort Lee, and Newark become home to some of the tri-state area’s largest ethnic communities. And where large populations of immigrants go, good food follows—in some cases better than its equivalent offerings in New York.

Take Paterson, a silk factory city that fell into post-industrial decline but is now enjoying a second life thanks to its new middle class. The new blood is eclectic—Paterson is home to Hispanic, Arab, Filipino, Asian, and Turkish populations—and as a result, its food scene is impressively diverse. From Manhattan, getting there takes all of half an hour by car, or an hour on NJ Transit.

Stir in lentils, then add enough of the reserved poaching broth to just cover lentils. Add bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then adjust heat to maintain simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more poaching liquid to keep lentils just covered throughout, until lentils are very tender and just beginning to break down, about 1 hour; use additional water as needed if you run out of poaching liquid before the lentils have finished cooking.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine water, oil, sugar, yeast, salt, and whole wheat flour with a wooden spoon until combined and smooth. Stir in all-purpose flour until the mixture comes together into a shaggy mass.

Using clean hands, knead the dough in the bowl for 10 minutes or until it becomes smooth and very elastic, adding only very small amounts of extra flour if dough is extremely sticky (see note). Alternatively, knead dough at low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment until dough is very elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a baking steel or 12-inch cast iron skillet on the top oven rack and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Line a plate with a large, clean kitchen towel and set aside.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl and place dough inside, then rub oiled hands over the top of the dough. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

The best time to hit Toros is at lunch, when they offer a three-course lunch special of a soup or salad, your choice of mezze, and a grilled main. Coordinate with your table and you can hack together a shareable feast, all for just $12 a person. Toros does a mean lentil soup, excellent eggplant dishes, and well-seasoned lamb kebabs.

My favorite meat is lamb. My favorite vegetable is eggplant; favorite fruit, pomegranate. Form of carbohydrate? Fresh flatbreads. My favorite food group is dairy; favorite form of dairy: yogurts and fresh cheeses.

Favorite way to eat seafood, as simply prepared as possible. And favorite mode of eating? Lots and lots of little bites of things.

All this, to say: I was destined to love eating in Turkey, where I got my fill of all of the above, and often in small, snackable portions. Here are my 16 favorite foods in Istanbul. Whole wheat flour adds a nutty flavor to the pita bread. Rolling the pitas thin aids in the formation of a pocket.

Begin at Taskin Bakery, which supplies bread both to local restaurants and many of New York’s Middle Eastern markets. Turkish cuisine has a bread culture just as rich as the French, and Taskin’s wide selection does it proud. On the shelves you’ll find flaky croissant-like pastries, syrupy phyllo sweets, briny olive breads, and best of all, simit, crackly-chewy doughnut-shaped breads blitzed with sesame seeds. Fresh from the oven, Taskin’s simit are just as good as what you’ll find in Istanbul, where they’re relished for breakfast much like bagels are in New York. Taskin also has a flattop devoted to gozleme, a tissue-thin flatbread stuffed with fillings like cheese, greens, or meat, then folded over on itself to form a neat, floppy pocket. Go for one filled with spinach and cheese and you’ll be rewarded with greaseless, feather-light bread, barely wilted fresh greens, and lightly salty cheese. You’ll wonder why it’s not on every New York street corner.

It was the promise of great Turkish cooking that that sent SE designer Tracie and me on a field trip to Paterson. While New York has some great Turkish food if you know where to look, most of it leaves some room for improvement. Could Jersey do us one better?

South Paterson’s Turkish sector is far more condensed than New York’s, with a tight cluster of restaurants, kebab houses, bakeries, and groceries. Short diversions will take you to late-night diners, WPA-era outdoor markets, and Hispanic stores selling treasures like dirt-cheap key limes and Peruvian pepper paste.

In short: come for an afternoon and you’ll find more food than you can handle. Looking for an introduction to the city’s Turkish scene? Here’s an afternoon itinerary to get you started.

Just down the street from Taskin you’ll find Toros, a mini-chain of three north Jersey Turkish restaurants. This location, which identifies as the Clifton branch (not to be confused with the Paterson branch nearby) is a dark, velvet-drawn room that recalls some Russian oligarch’s country home. Befitting of the grand setting is a menu that covers the full range of salads, mezze, and grilled Turkish meat.

A mixture of tangy cheeses and aromatic herbs create a vibrant filling.
Squeezing the spinach dry prevents the filling and the pie from being soggy.
Using clarified butter yields crispier boreks.
Delicate, gossamer-thin phyllo is a forgiving material to work with, once you know how to handle it.
Along with cured olives, string cheese, dried apricots, walnut halves, and cured meats like basturma (the Armenian equivalent of bresaola) and sujuk (spiced Armenian sausage), boreks are required for any Armenian mezze spread. Using clarified butter yields crispier boreks. I don’t know if that’s 100% true for every Armenian household, but I’ve yet to attend a single gathering of more than a couple of Armenians where boreks weren’t served. (My mother keeps containers of unbaked boreks in her freezer at all times, just in case.) Aromatic herbs and alliums like parsley, dill, and scallion are common additions to either style, and eggs are usually added as a binder.

Assembling boreks is easy if you abide by some guidelines for working with phyllo dough, which is somewhat delicate. Since the phyllo turns brittle if left at refrigerator temperatures for more than a day or two, keep it frozen for as long as possible. When you want to use it, plan ahead, as you’ll want to transfer it to the fridge overnight or leave it at room temperature for at least four hours. To prevent it from drying out and causing breakage, be sure to let the dough sit in its sealed packaging at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Since most phyllo is sold in one-pound packages, you can take what you need (plus a few extra sheets in case one or two tear beyond repair), gently reroll the remainder, wrap the roll in plastic, place it in a zipper-lock bag, and refreeze for up to two weeks.

When working with phyllo, keep the stack of sheets covered with a piece of parchment or wax paper weighed down by a dry kitchen towel (do not use a damp towel, despite what some recipes recommend). Finally, keep in mind that minor tears or cracks won’t be noticeable once the borek is folded and assembled, especially if they end up on the inside, so don’t worry too much as you work with it.

Andrew Janjigian
For this recipe, which gives you the option of both types of fillings, I hewed closely to the spirit of my mother’s, while making a few refinements and flourishes of my own. For the cheese filling, I kept the Muenster and feta cheeses, and added goat cheese, which upped both the mixture’s creaminess and its subtle funk (using a sheep’s milk feta here, rather than more demure cow’s milk feta, is best for achieving that notable funkiness). The spinach filling also uses both feta and goat cheese for similar reasons, and gives you the option of using greens other than frozen spinach, such as fresh spinach, watercress, arugula, Swiss chard, or beet greens (see notes section below). In both versions, I increased the quantities of herbs significantly. I also found that clarifying the butter used to assemble the boreks helps keep them crisp. And, for a final bit of flair, I like to garnish mine with a mixture of sesame and nigella seeds.

Boreks—or borags, beregs, boregs, boeregs, depending upon who’s doing the spelling (they’re all pronounced the same)—are buttery, crisp, multilayered phyllo hand pies, filled with cheese, greens, vegetables, meat, or some combination thereof. They’re usually triangle-shaped, although tray-style boreks, baked in a pan and then cut into squares, are also common. They’re beloved by Armenians, but are equally prized throughout the countries that were once a part of the Ottoman Empire, such as Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, and Serbia.

While boreks can be made with puff pastry or yufka, a more rustic pastry dough that sits midway between a pasta and phyllo in thickness and heft, the vast majority of Armenian boreks are made using phyllo dough. The most common filling for Armenian boreks is either a mixture of cheeses—typically melty ones like Muenster or Monterey Jack, tangy feta, and something creamy, like cottage or cream cheese—or a combination of cheese and cooked, well-drained spinach.

For the Herb and Cheese Filling:
8 ounces (225g) Greek feta, crumbled
4 ounces (115g) Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 1/2 ounces (70g) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped mixed tender herbs and tender stems (about 2 ounces; 60g), such as dill, parsley, mint, and cilantro
4 scallions (2 ounces; 60g), thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
2 large eggs (110g), lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Spinach, Herb, and Cheese Filling:
10 ounces (285g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 ounces (225g) Greek feta, crumbled
2 1/2 ounces (70g) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 ounces (1 packed cup; 60g) chopped mixed tender herbs and tender stems, such as dill, parsley, mint, and cilantro (about 2 packed cups picked herbs before chopping)
4 scallions (2 ounces; 60g), thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
2 large eggs (110g), lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Boreks:
9 (13- by 18-inch) sheets phyllo dough, thawed and rested at room temperature for 30 minutes
10 tablespoons (5 ounces; 140g) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon hulled sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional; see notes)

A baking sheet with 16 boreks after baking
You can substitute a variety of tender, fresh greens, such as spinach, watercress, arugula, Swiss chard, or beet greens, for the frozen spinach. To do so, wash 10 gently packed cups chopped mixed fresh greens and tender stems (about 15 ounces; 430g) and place in a medium microwave-safe bowl along with 1/4 cup (60ml) water. Cover and microwave on high power until greens have wilted and decreased in volume by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Keep covered for 1 minute, then uncover and let cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, chop fine, and squeeze dry in a clean kitchen towel. You will need 7 to 8 ounces (200-225g) cooked, drained greens for the filling; set aside any excess for another use.
Each borek calls for about 3 tablespoons (40g) of filling. Use a spoon and a 1/4 cup measure to transfer the filling to the strip of dough.
Rewarm the butter as needed to keep it melted so it’s easy to brush onto phyllo.
You can make 22 to 24 slightly smaller boreks with this recipe, too. Just cut the full-sized sheets of phyllo into thirds, lengthwise, to form twenty-seven 13- by 6-inch strips, and use 2 scant tablespoons of filling for each borek

Melting butter in a saucepan
Remove one phyllo sheet from stack and transfer to clean work surface, with the long end of the sheet running parallel to edge of counter. Working lengthwise, brush half of phyllo sheet that is closest to you lightly but evenly with butter. Fold sheet in half toward you lengthwise, covering the buttered portion of dough. Rotate sheet 90 degrees so short side now faces you, and brush entire surface of sheet lightly but evenly with butter.

collage: brushing a sheet of phyllo with melted butter; folding sheet in half; brushing again with melted butter
Using a 1/4 cup measure, place a scant 3 tablespoons (40g) filling on the bottom left-hand corner of sheet, about one inch from the bottom edge. Using a spoon, form filling into a rough triangle with its long edge (hypotenuse) facing the bottom right edge of the phyllo. Lift the bottom right corner of the phyllo and fold it over the filling and gently press to form a right triangle. Continue folding up and over, like folding a flag, until you reach the end of phyllo strip. Using a sharp knife, trim off any overhanging phyllo. Brush top of triangle with butter and transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, seam side down. Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon seed mixture.

For the Herb and Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, combine feta, Muenster, goat cheese, herbs, scallions, eggs, and pepper, and toss gently to combine. Cover and set aside.

ingredients for boreg filling:For the Herb and Cheese Filling: feta, Muenster, goat cheese, herbs, scallions, eggs, and pepper
For the Spinach, Herb, and Cheese Filling: Wrap spinach in a clean kitchen towel or double layer of paper towels and squeeze to remove excess moisture (you should end up with about 6 ounces (170g) spinach). Transfer to a medium bowl, along with feta, goat cheese, herbs, scallions, eggs, salt, and pepper, and toss gently to combine. Cover and set aside.

collage: squeezing water out of cooked spinach with a towel; a different bowl filled with cheese, eggs, scallions and chopped spinach
For the Boreks: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (190°C). Using a sharp knife, cut stack of phyllo sheets in half to form eighteen 13- by 9-inch sheets. Stack together and cover with a sheet of parchment and a clean kitchen towel.

collage: phyllo sheets cut in half; covered with a kitchen towel
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and cook, swirling pan frequently and taking care not to let butter solids brown (lower heat as needed to medium-low if butter begins to pop and brown), until foaming subsides (an indication that water has been driven off), about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Ingredients
Save Recipe
1 cup garlic cloves (4 1/2 ounces; 130g)
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for table salt, use 1 teaspoon)
1/4 cup (60g) fresh juice from about 2 lemons, divided
1/4 cup (60g) ice water, divided
3 cups (600g) neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola, divided

Directions
Using a paring knife, split each garlic clove in half lengthwise. With the tip of the knife, remove the germ from each garlic clove half.

Using a knife to de-germ garlic.
Food Processor Method: Place the de-germed garlic and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse garlic in short bursts until finely minced, occasionally removing the lid to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible rubber spatula. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and continue processing until a paste begins to form. Add another tablespoon lemon juice and process until completely smooth and slightly fluffy.

Overhead view of garlic and salt in food processor before and after processing into a smooth paste..
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup oil in a very thin stream, followed by 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Repeat with another 1/2 cup oil and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Continue the process, alternating 1/2 cup oil and 1 tablespoon water, until all the oil and water have been incorporated. Transfer toum to a container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Overhead view of toum in food processor.
Mortar and Pestle Method: Depending on the size of your mortar, you may need to make the recipe in smaller batches, halving or quartering the ingredient amounts. In the mortar, combine garlic and salt and grind until it becomes a smooth paste. Work oil into paste 1 teaspoon at a time. After adding 1 tablespoon oil, work in a few drops of lemon juice. Repeat until all the oil, lemon juice, and water have been incorporated.

This utterly faithful recipe perfectly recreates a New York City halal-cart classic: Chicken and Rice with White Sauce. The chicken is marinated with herbs, lemon, and spices; the rice golden; the sauce, as white and creamy as ever. Chicken thighs are less prone to drying out like chicken breast, guaranteeing tender and juicy results.
A combination of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt, plus seasonings, nail that classic halal-cart white sauce.
Iceberg lettuce and tomato may seem like strange additions, but they’re essential elements of this famous New York City street food.
Manhattan is home to many smells, but perhaps the most delicious is the chicken-y, savory scent that emanates from from the city’s countless halal carts. Serving lunch to late-night, these carts dish up a container full of chicken rice that tastes like nothing else, crave-worthy and totally singular. To taste this particular chicken and rice you can get yourself to Midtown or try this home version by Kenji, a spot-on rendition of the street food classic. Marinated in oregano, lemon, and coriander, chicken thighs are browned, chopped into chunks and served over a pile turmeric-yellow rice. Of course, it wouldn’t be halal-cart style without the ubiquitous (and none too fancy) salad of iceberg and tomatoes, and that mysterious sweet-sour-tangy white sauce that just has to be ladled all over the chicken and rice for true street-style authenticity.

For the chicken:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup light olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (6 to 8 thighs)
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
For the rice:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups long-grain or Basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
Fluffy pocketless pita bread, brushed in butter, lightly toasted, and cut into 1 × 3-inch strips
Harissa-style hot sauce, for serving

Special equipment
Blender, 12-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet

Notes
Do not marinate the chicken longer than 4 hours or it’ll get a mushy texture. If you must delay cooking the chicken for any reason, remove it from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the chicken: Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth. Season the marinade to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add half of the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator). Turn the chicken to coat, seal the bag, and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade (see Note).

Remove the chicken from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Season with kosher salt and pepper, going heavy on the pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking. Add the chicken pieces and cook without disturbing until they are lightly browned on the first side, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the center of each thigh registers 165°F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Using a chef’s knife, roughly chop the chicken into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining marinade, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate while you cook the rice and prepare the sauce.

For the rice: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. 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 without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt.

To serve: Return the entire contents of the chicken bowl (chicken, marinade, and all juices) to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. To serve, divide the rice, lettuce, tomato, and toasted pita bread evenly among four to six plates. Pile the chicken on top of the rice. Top with the white sauce and hot sauce. Serve immediately, passing extra sauce at the table.