Author Notes
Of all the street vendors in Mumbai, these were the guys who had the least set up overhead. No kerosene stoves, cast iron cauldrons, no cooking oil, they would just set up in less than 30 minutes and get started. Of course This made it easier to clear up & vamoose when the cops & the municipality truck came around chasing the unlicensed vendors away. The vendor usually had an assistant fanning a coal fired stove or 'sigri' used to make a grilled version of the sandwich.
The only tool used is an ultra sharp knife fashioned out of a hacksaw blade, (with 2 strips of bamboo held together with wire as the handle) with which the vendor slices the vegetables, paper thin, directly onto the sandwich. The same knife is used to cut the sandwich into 6 (yes, not four, not eight) pieces. Served on squares of the wax paper that the bread was wrapped in. Ketchup to be added as per the customers preference. —Panfusine
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Ingredients
- Basic cilantro & mint chutney
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2 cups
cilantro leaves (packed)
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1/2 cup
mint leaves (packed)
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1-2
green chillies
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Juice of 1 lime
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Salt to taste
- Sandwich
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4
slices good white sandwich bread
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Salted butter as required (softened)
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coriander and mint chutney
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1
large russet potato boiled and peeled
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2
vine ripened or heirloom tomatoes
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1
kirby cucumber (peeled) or English hothouse cucumber
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1
beet root boiled & peeled
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1
vidalia onion (optional)
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Salt & pepper mixed together
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Squares of wax paper for serving
Directions
- Basic cilantro & mint chutney
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Add all ingredients into a food processor using no added water and grind into a fine paste.
- Sandwich
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Using a mandoline or a really sharp knife, slice the cucumber, tomatoes & onion just prior to assembling the sandwich. Slicing the potato & beets when they're completely cooled makes it a lot easier and allows for really thin slices.
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Cut off the crusts from the bread. Spread on the butter, followed by the chutney on both the slices. Set the top slice aside.
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Place a single layer of potato on the bread. Season with the salt/pepper powder.
Repeat with layers of onion (if using), followed by thin slices of the vine ripened tomatoes (the best sandwich 'wallas' heap a whole tomato for one sandwich!)
Continue with a layer of cucumber slices and finish with a layer of thinly sliced beetroot. Season with salt & pepper.
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Place the second slice of bread over, press lightly with the palm of your hand & cut into six pieces. Slide onto wax paper, wrap until ready to eat. serve with tomato ketchup.
A biomedical engineer/ neuroscientist by training, currently a mommy blogger on a quest for all things food - Indian Palate, Global perspective!
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