5 Sandwich-Making Tips

 1. Spread Out
Sandwich spreads add flavor but also perform the essential task of lending moisture and sometimes creaminess to sandwiches. Mustard and mayo are the familiar standbys, but don’t stop there. It’s well worth experimenting with the following: vinaigrettes, pestos, BBQ sauces, chutneys, and salsas.

2. Use the Right Bread
Choose bread appropriate to the sandwich you’re making. Pair moist fillings with soft, fluffy breads and you’ve got a recipe for a sponge, not a sandwich. As a general rule, the moister the filling the drier and denser the bread should be. A good, thick crust helps, too. Swap in large flour tortillas, if you like, for moist fillings. They keep ingredients in check and maintain their integrity much better than many breads.

3. Choose To-Go Toppings
We love lettuce and tomato in sandwiches. They lend moisture, crunch and freshness and provide a wonderful foil for heavy, rich ingredients. They are, however, almost entirely water, and thus over extended periods are prone to wilting and, worse, making bread soggy. Luckily there are plenty of vegetables that offer all the benefits of lettuce and tomato without the drawbacks. In place of sliced tomatoes, for instance, try giving roasted peppers. (It helps if you first blot the peppers dry with a paper towel). Instead of lettuce, experiment with other vegetables, like sliced fennel, spinach, shredded cabbage, or cucumber.

4. Stave Off Sogginess
Spread mayo, butter or cream cheese all the way to the edges of each slice of bread to create a seal against wet sandwich fillings. Also, try packing high moisture ingredients, like tomatoes, pickles, and cucumbers, separately. Just add them to the sandwich when you’re ready to eat. Toasting the bread can help, too.

5. Take the Edge Off Onions
Onions can give sandwiches a welcome bite but often must be tamed a bit to be enjoyed raw. There are two effective ways to take some of the edge off sliced onions: Either soak thinly sliced onions in ice water for 20 minutes or so. Then drain and blot dry. (This method adds crispness.) Or toss sliced onions with a generous sprinkling of kosher salt. Wait a few minutes. Rub salt into the onions, rinse, drain

Oven-Baked Salmon

Ingredients
12 ounce salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
Coarse-grained salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted Almond Parsley Salsa, for serving
Baked squash, for serving, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place salmon, skin side down, on a non-stick baking sheet or in a non-stick pan with an oven-proof handle. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with the Toasted Almond Parsley Salsa and squash, if desired.

SERVES: 4

Calories: 177

Total Fat: 11 grams

Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams

Protein: 17 grams

Total carbohydrates: 0 grams

Sugar: 0 grams

Fiber: 0 grams

Cholesterol: 47 milligrams

Sodium: 170 milligrams

Toasted Almond Parsley Salad:
1 shallot
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Coarse grain salt
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup toasted almonds
Extra-virgin olive oil
Mince the shallot and add to a small bowl. Pour the vinegar over the shallots and add a pinch of salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Roughly chop the capers, parsley and almonds and add to the shallots. Add the olive oil, tasting as you go. Mix again and adjust the seasonings.

How to make Delicious Homemade Pani Puri

To make puri:
1 cup Semolina (Rava / Suji)
3 tblsp Fine Wheat Flour (Maida)
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
Oil to deep fry

To make pani:
1/2 cup Tamarind (Imli) Pulp
2 cups Water
2 tblsp roasted Cumin Seed (Jeera) Powder
2 tblsp un-roasted Cumin Seed (Jeera)
1/2 cup Coriander Leaves
3 Green Chilly (Hari Mirch)
1 cup Mint Leaves (Pudina Leaves)
1 tblsp Black Salt (kala namak )
1 tblsp Boondi
2 tblsp crushed Jaggary (Gur)

To make stuffing:
2 medium boiled potatoes
1/2 cup boiled dried yellow peas/ small chickpeas
salt to taste
Green chutney
Red Tamarind Chutney

How to make pani puri:
To Make Puri:
Mix sooji, maida, baking soda and salt in a wide mouth vessel. Now add warm water little by little to knead a stiff dough. The stiffness should be same as for the puris. Cover it with a damp muslin cloth and keep it aside for 30 mins.
Now make small equal lemon sized balls of the dough. Do remember to keep them covered with damp muslin cloth while making more balls.
Now with the help of some dry maida, roll out thin rotis. Make them round with the help of a round cookie cutter or lid of any container.
Points to remember before frying :
1. Always ensure that the oil is hot before frying otherwise the puris will soak in excess oil and will not puff. Put a small testing puri. If it comes up fast then the oil is rightly hot.
2. Also the oil should not be smoking hot or the puris will get burnt and dark.
Heat oil in a deep bottom pan or kadai and put 3 - 4 puris in the kadai and fry them with the help of a slotted spoon.
While frying, press them in the center allow them to puff up. We want a pocket in each and every puri.
Now flip them over and let them cook. Take them out on a kitchen towel when they are light brown and crisp. Don't let them get dark in color.
Let them cool. Later store in an airtight container.
To Make Pani:
Grind in a hand blender coriander, mint leaves and green chillies to make a fine paste.
Mix all the ingredients of the pani along with the green paste. Dissolve the gur properly. Adjust the spices and tanginess according to taste.
Strain through a wire strainer to remove any rough bits. Keep in the refrigerator for 2 -3 hrs before serving.
To Make The Stuffing : In a bowl mix yellow peas, roughly mashed potatoes and salt. Keep aside.
To Serve: Make a small hole on a puri by tapping slowly on the crisp side. Fill some stuffing in the centre along with some green chutney, tamarind chutney and some chilled pani prepared earlier. Stir the pani before using to mix all the masalas.
Enjoy homemade pani puri or golgappa or puchkas....