Mumbai's Street food scene is among the most popular in the world. Tourist make special trips to the soul of the city to taste all the flavors India has to offer. Samosas, Aloo Tikis, Kebabs, Pani Puri and so much more line the streets in popular districts like Chowpatty Beach.
However, some five hours north of Mumbai is a city called Surat in the state of Gujrat. And that is where I was born and raised till I moved to America at the age of 5. In Surat, we have our own localized street food that rivals any major city across India. My fondest childhood memories revolve around tiptoeing from house to house, scooters rides at night and of course the food. I remember my mother taking me to the dosa carts and cold cocoa stalls--this was a nightly ritual.
Surat had and currently has a food scene onto its own. It's vibrant, it's spicy and it's full of heart--everything you come to expect from street food! Cart after cart is lined with everything from Pav Bhaji to Indo-Chinese inspired dishes. Both tourists and locals are drawn to these little rectangular, mobile eateries where food is made fresh and in front of you.
It is this nostalgic piece of my childhood where I bring a little bit of the motherland back here to the states. Typical American brunch mornings are filled with waffles and more modern dishes like avocado toast. But growing up in an Indian household meant, Sunday mornings were reserved for street food. Well it was in my house anyway. We had Papdi No Loat (Steamed Rice Flour Dumplings), Idli Sambar (Rice & Lentil Cakes with a spicy soup), Khaman Locho (Chickpea Flour Savory Cakes), Khandvi (Gram Flour & Yogurt Rolls) and of course everyone's favorite Chutney Sandwiches.
Now chutney sandwiches are really quite simple to prepare. You can purchase most of the ingredients from your local supermarket with the exception of the chaat masala and cilantro chutney (I make my own). Oh and my favorite addition, Amul Cheese. All of these items can be purchased at your local Indian grocery store.
Amul Cheese: I absolutely love Amul cheese. I grew up eating this cheese by the can. That's right--it's processed, it comes in a can yet it's so delicious. In trying to describe the taste I would say it's like a mild, buttery version of cheddar with a salty, sour note. I know all the cheese snobs are going to DM me right about now but I stand by my love for Amul Cheese. Moving on:)
Ingredients
1 Loaf of Hearty White or Wheat Bread
Cilantro Chutney - Try my homemade Cilantro Chutney
1 Medium Red Onion - Sliced thin, rings
1 Medium Slicing Tomato - Sliced thin
1 Cucumber - Sliced thin
3 Medium Boiled/Steamed Potatoes - Sliced 1/4 inch thick
Chat Masala - Optional
Amul Cheese - Optional
Method:
Note: The best thing about this sandwich is that there is no right or wrong way to assemble it.
Spread cilantro chutney to either one or both slices of bread. I use a hearty white or wheat bread that can withstand the acid in the chutney. Anything too soft or thin will result in soggy bread.
Spread ketchup to the other slice of bread or on top of your chutney.
On one of the slices, layer vegetables on top of each other: Potatoes, Tomatoes, Onions, Cucumbers. This is the order I prefer but again you do you!
Sprinkle some cheese or in my case a lot of cheese over the last layer. (Optional)
Sprinkle chaat masala over the last layer (Optional). You can sprinkle chaat masala over any of the vegetables and then place in your sandwich.
Place second slice of bread on top and serve! You can cut in half but many Indian street food vendors will quarter the sandwich.
Tee Tip: Crust or Crustless? Typical Chutney sandwiches will be crustless, in that they cut the crust off, assemble the sandwich and then serve. I have a tough time just wasting perfectly good food. In good conscience I just cannot cut the crust off and simply discard them in the trash. So I make all my chutney sandwiches with crust and have done so for years. This is of course the way I choose to do it and it works for us. But feel free to do what works for you and your family.
Thanks for stopping by! I love feedback and comments so be sure to leave me a little note. Follow me on Instagram for more real time updates on my cooking and baking adventures. IG Handle: teenastable
And remember: There's always room for one more on Teena's Table!
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