Craving a delicious yet easy-to-make sandwich for lunch? Look no further than this toasted tomato-paneer sandwich recipe from Epicurious. With its unique blend of spices and the creamy texture of paneer cheese, this sandwich is sure to satisfy your taste buds. When it comes to toasted sandwiches, there are few things more delicious than a classic tomato-paneer sandwich. Paneer is a type of cheese that is firm and easy to slice, making it the perfect addition to any sandwich while leaving a smoky taste.
Ingredients for Toasted Tomato-Paneer Sandwiches
- 12 slices of your preferred bread
- 2 (6-oz.) packages of paneer
- 1½ cups of coarsely-grated sharp cheddar or low-moisture mozzarella
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 (15-oz.) can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 (1″) piece of peeled ginger, finely chopped
- ½ a jalapeño with the seeds removed, finely chopped
- ½ cup of chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons of ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal or 1¼ teaspoons of Morton kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- Ketchup (for serving)
Directions for Toasted Tomato-Paneer Sandwiches
- In order to start this wonderful recipe for a delicious toasted sandwich, you’ll want to begin by heating your extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or another heavy pot over medium heat. Once the oil is spread throughout the bottom of the pot and properly heated, you’ll cook your paneer cheese in a single layer, undisturbed, until it’s golden brown underneath. This should take approximately 2 minutes. Then, you’ll transfer this to a medium bowl, allow the paneer to cool slightly, and then crumble the paneer cheese into bite-size pieces. Set this aside for later.
- Next, add your jalapeño, onion, garlic, cumin seeds, peeled ginger, and mustard seeds to the same pot. Cook these ingredients over medium heat while stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent, which should take about 5 minutes. At this point, add in your cayenne pepper, turmeric, and coriander into the pot and cook it until it’s fragrant while stirring occasionally. After about 3 minutes, stir in your tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup of water. Bring the pot to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low and stir in your reserved paneer from earlier. Cover the pot and cook the contents while stirring occasionally until the sauce is slightly thickened, which should take about 15-20 minutes.
- In order to start assembling your six sandwiches, you’ll spread a slice of bread with ½ cup of sauce, top it with some of the red onion, cheddar cheese, and cilantro, and close up the sandwich with another slice of bread. Because you’re assembling all six sandwiches in this step, you’ll want to use about ⅙ of each of your sandwich ingredients, so that they’re all assembled evenly. Repeat the process of this step for the remaining five sandwiches.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat for the toasting of the sandwiches. Place two sandwiches into your pan and press down on them occasionally with a spatula in order to ensure good contact with the pan, making the underside of the sandwiches golden brown and crisp, for about 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, turn your sandwiches over and cool for another 3 minutes until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Transfer your sandwiches to a plate and repeat the process two more times with your remaining butter and sandwiches.
- Slice the sandwiches in half and serve them alongside ketchup. Enjoy!
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