Toasted Masala Chicken Salad Sandwich

Remember going on road trips with you family as a kid and your parents would pack rolled up rotis, parathas, and toasted sandwiches, so you “don’t have to waste money on fast food.” And the whole time you were thinking the whole point of a road trip was to eat junk! Well here’s my ode to those simpler days of cramming together in a mini van with your family and friends as you listened to the same 2 Hindi cassettes of songs from #DilSe and #Ishq while you drove across state lines: a masala chicken salad toasted sandwich.

*Recipe*

- 1 chicken breast, cut into small cubes

- 1 T vegetable oil

- 1/2 c sliced onion

- 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced

- 1/4 t turmeric powder

- 1/2 t kashmiri chili powder

- 1 sprig of curry leaves

- 1/4 t freshly cracked black pepper

- salt to taste

- 1 T Mayonaise

- 2 slices of bread

1. Cut your chicken breast into small bite size pieces. Wash it well and then set aside in a colander to drain any excess water. Pat dry any excess water before cooking

2. In a pan heat up your oil. Once hot, add your sliced garlic and curry leaves and cook for one minute. Then add your sliced onion and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions become translucent.

3. Turn down the heat to low and add your turmeric, chili powder, and black pepper and cook for just about a minute. Then add your cut up chicken pieces and mix well. Season with salt and on a low medium heat, cook covered for 8-10 minutes, making sure to stir in between. The chicken will release some water which we will dry out later

4. At thi time the chicken should be cooked through. Remove the lid and cook on a medium high heat while stirring so the liquid is cooked out. Once at the desired consistency, turn off the heat and set aside to cool. Then using a food processor or by hand, shred the chicken. Add a tablespoon of mayo and mix. Spread the chicken mixture onto two slices of bread and sandwich together.

5. If you don't have a sandwich toaster/panini press or on the stove stop or skip this step altogether.

Melt some butter on a skillet. Place your sandwich into the melted butter and cover for 1-2 minutes until the bottom becomes a golden brown. Turn the sandwich over and repeat the step.

If you want to serve these cold, you can add some diced onions and celery to the chicken for a nice crunch.