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Kashmiri Rista Sandwich

Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: Modern Indian
Servings: 12 meatballs

Ingredients

For the Rista:

  • 500 gm lamb mince with at least 25%fat content
  • 1 whole egg
  • 4 cups water
  • Salt to season
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 5-6 tsp kashmiri chilli water
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 ½ tsp shallot paste
  • 2 tsp saffron water
  • 2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
  • ½ tsp shahi jeera/caraway seeds

For the sandwich:

  • Crusty bread rolls 3 meatballs per sub which makes around 4 subs
  • A handful of baby spinach
  • 2 semi-ripe tomatoes cut into even discs
  • 1 cucumber sliced finely
  • 1 cup pickled shallots
  • 2 fresh jalapenos sliced finely into discs

Instructions

  • To make pickled shallots, slice the onions, add 1 tbsp salt, a pinch of sugar and 1 tbsp vinegar. Keep for at least 10 minutes; mix the shallots by hand and then squeeze out all the liquid from the onions.
  • To prepare the meatballs, add the lamb mince along with one egg to a food processor (If you are adding fat separately, make sure it is added cold). Season lightly with salt and blend for a minute or two. Wet your hands and remove the mince mixture onto a plate.
  • Place a pan with 4 cups of water on the stove to boil. Begin to roll the meatballs as the water starts to heat up.
  • Wet your hands lightly to roll the meatballs easily; add each meatball into the water as soon as you roll it.
  • As the meatballs begin to cook, you will notice the fat begins to leach out into the water which turns it cloudy (this is an important step). Move the meatballs around in the pan to ensure that it cooks evenly on all sides.
  • Once the meatballs are looking springy or have begun to rise to the surface (this should happen in 5-6 minutes), add the turmeric powder.
  • Then add the chilli water (do not get worried about the quantity as this does make the dish spicy) and garam masala.
  • Next, add the shallot paste followed by saffron water. Taste and season with salt; cook for another 1 minute.
  • Remove the meatballs carefully into a bowl and continue to cook the sauce to reduce and thicken the consistency. You need just enough sauce to coat the meatballs and also to drizzle a bit in the sandwich. Once this consistency has reached, return the meatballs to the pan, mix and remove from heat.
  • In another pan, heat ghee and add to the meatballs; cover immediately and keep for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, assemble the other components of the sandwich.
  • Place all the different vegetables and meatballs in separate bowls so that each person can make his own sub – a fun way to bring family and friends together.
  • Even though it might look like a whole lot of steps, this is an easy to make recipe once you have all the ingredients at hand.

Notes

To make Kashmiri chilli water, soak 10-12 dried Kashmiri chillies (stems and seeds removed) in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Grind well with water and sieve to get the vibrant red chilli water. Can be refrigerated upto 2 weeks or store frozen as cubes for upto an year.
To make shallot paste, roast 10 – 12 shallots in a pan with a tbsp of oil till light brown. Grind to a paste with as little water as possible. Excess can be refrigerated and stored for upto a week or frozen and used upto a month.