If there’s a street cart that you’ve sworn you’ve heard about, it’s most likely Midtown’s Kwik Meal. For Mohammed Rahman the idea to open a halal cart came after tasting a chicken and rice platter down by the former World Trade Center in early 2000. At the time he was a sous chef at the famous Russian Tea Room and was entirely underwhelmed by the platter he bought. I’m a chef. I can serve better food, he thought. The Bangladeshi Canadian relied on his years of restaurant and home-cooking experience—as well as a stint in culinary school—to make his cart a success. He procured his license and cart, ultimately setting up shop where he can still be found most days, on West 45th Street and Sixth Avenue by August of that year. He still shows up every day to serve in a chef’s toque and ascot, a nod to his professional training and a bit of marketing appeal.
When Mohammed originally set up his cart, hot dog carts were still the most common offering on the street, but New York was facing an influx of Egyptians and Middle Easterners. This rising immigrant community gravitated toward the few halal meat carts, forming lines of parked taxis as they caught a quick bite to eat while on their shifts. Mohammed noticed that most carts offered only chicken and falafel, so he went out on a limb and added lamb to his menu. He marinates it overnight in a spice-filled yogurt sauce, complete with papaya purée, and uses a bit of papaya in his sauce to tie the flavors together. The succulent lamb can be served in a puffy pita or over a heaping mound of Jasmine rice. It wasn’t long before office workers and cab drivers began realizing that though it was lamb coming off a cart, it was one of the most tender and delicious lamb dishes to be found in Midtown. “Everybody loves it.”
Mohammed quickly garnered fame for his menu—which also uniquely has daily fish specials—and was written about in numerous articles including a few mentions in the New York Times. It was no surprise when he was nominated into the Vendy Awards in 2007. He went home with the honor of being the People’s Choice Winner and was nominated in again the following year. His success has allowed him to branch out with a few other carts in Midtown, though he doesn’t have any plans to open a restaurant version of the cart. He’d rather be on the cart, enjoying the interactions with customers and getting home to his family at night.
Adapted from Mohammed Rohman’s recipe
A unique aspect of Mohammed’s lamb is the marinade where the addition of papaya, whose main enzyme, papain, works to tenderize the meat. Lamb shoulder, a relatively inexpensive cut is fattier than the leg or ribs, but excellent for roasting. If you can find it as a roast—ask your butcher for blade or arm chops. Serve the chunks of lamb over jasmine rice cooked in broth or rolled into a pita with slices of lettuce and tomato, and the famous white sauce/hot sauce (page 86) on the side.
1 pound boneless lamb shoulder roast, trimmed and cubed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon toasted and ground coriander
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup green papaya, mashed
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
In a large nonreactive bowl mix everything together, coating the lamb well. Place in a plastic bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let marinate overnight in the fridge.
When you’re ready to cook the lamb, pre-heat your oven to 325°F. Place all of the lamb onto a foil-covered baking sheet and place in the oven for about 15 minutes. While the lamb is roasting, heat a skillet or cast iron pan over high heat. Once the lamb has released its juices, and the internal temperature reaches 135°F, take out the lamb and place in the hot pan for a quick sear, about 5 minutes on each side. When finished, the lamb will have a good char, yet still be tender.
“White sauce, hot sauce” is the ubiquitous condiment option at every halal street food cart in New York. And any cart worth their salt has their own unique recipe for their sauces, a recipe that few are willing to ever part with. This recipe is one inspired by many trips to Kwik Meal—a cart with one of the best white sauces—and is a surefire addition to any meal involving lamb. Using Greek yogurt is essential since it provides you with a thicker, richer sauce. For your hot sauce, cook down your favorite spicy salsa verde, similar to how you would in Mexicue’s “Green Chile Mac ‘n’ Cheese” (page 198).
½ of a medium-sized cucumber, peeled
½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup cottage cheese
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
Place the cucumber in a food processor until puréed. Place in a medium bowl along with the rest of your ingredients. Whisk everything together until combined. If you find your sauce is too thick, add a bit more water to thin it out.
