Indian street food is an almost infinite variety of delicious bites, the most popular and well known being the samosa. However, sandwiches are also ver popular, easy to make, cheap and so delicious. I had posted a recipe for a very upscale Cheese and chili melt, but this recipe on the other hand is easy, simple and representative of true street food.
In India today you can get a wide variety of cheeses, locally made and internatIonal. my preference for this recipe is the old and most well known Amul cheese. A processed cheese that each one of us has grown up with. This is truly the perfect cheese for this dish as it is so well known to the Indian palate. However, you can substitute white cheddar if you prefer.
I like this recipe blow-your-socks-off spicy, but you can tone it down to suit your palate. The crisp toast is wonderful with the soft and gooey potatoes and the bold spices and chili make it addictive. Once you have the mashed potatoes this is a super simple recipe to make. I serve these as snacks in the traditional fashion, but also in very small bite sized pieces as an appetizer.
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Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
2-3 green or fresh red chilies, minced finely, or to taste
4 tablespoons cilantro minced
1/2 cup Amul or white cheddar cheese, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ajowain (carom) seeds
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
Salt, to taste
2 green chilies, or fresh red chilies cut into circles to garnish
3/4 cup Amul or white cheddar cheese, grated
4-5 slices white bread or sourdough bread
Mix the mashed potatoes with all the other spices and herbs and blend in well.
On a toast layer the potato mix. The secret of this recipe is to have the same thickness of the potatoes loaded as the thickness of the bread. Too little and it tends to be dry, and too much is overload. Garnish the bread with the sliced chilies and more grated cheese.
Broil in the middle of the oven till the cheese on top is melted and browned. The potatoes should also be heated through.
If you prefer to make them in a panini maker, add the second slice of bread on top. Cover both the tip and bottom with may and grill. Mayo is such a delicious cooking fat when used this way, way better then butter.
Remove, cut into pieces and serve immediately, so your guests can enjoy the melted cheese.