Ribbon Sandwich | Tri Coloured Sandwich | Indian Republic Day Special

I thought why not make the saffron coloured layer with tandoori chicken! Well, tandoori chicken is just so Indian that the whole world recognizes with it being an Indian dish. And I stuck to my most favourite green chutney made with a little coconut, a recipe that I had previously posted on the blog.

Ribbon Sandwich | Tri Coloured Sandwiches
Prep time: 30 mins | Marinating time: 1 hour (minimum) | Baking time: 20 mins | Making time: 15 mins | Yield 8-10 doubledecker sandwiches and when quartered, 32-40 mini sandwiches)

Ingredients:

• 1 large loaf (about 30 slices) of white sandwich bread (use wholemeal bread for a healthier option)
• Salted butter (I used Amul butter) softened at room temperature

For the tandoori chicken (saffron layer):

• 400-500 grams of boneless chicken
• 4-5 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger finely chopped
• 1 green chilli (deseeded) finely chopped
• ¼ cup of fresh coriander finely chopped
• ½ cup of hung curd * see notes
• 1 tsp of cumin powder
• ½ tsp of coriander powder
• ½ tsp of red chilli powder
• ½ tsp of garam masala powder
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or other oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• Salt to taste
• orange food color if desired (I didn’t use any)

For the green chutney (green layer):

• 2 cups coriander leaves
• 8-9 mint leaves
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 small green chillies (adjust to taste)
• 1 inch ginger
• juice of 1/2 a lime (adjust to taste)
• salt to taste

Method:
To make the tandoori chicken:
1. Whisk the hung curd a bit and add the rest of the ingredients mentioned under ‘For the tandoori layer‘.  Keep aside for at least 1-1/2 hours. Refrigerate overnight for best results.
2. Preheat oven to 220 degrees C for about 10 minutes. Then place the marinated chicken along with all the marination (masala) in an oven safe dish, drizzle some olive oil over it and bake for about 15-18 minutes flipping the pieces halfway during bake time. The chicken should be tender and juicy.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Place the chicken pieces with most of its liquid in a food processor/grinder and pulse for 3-4 seconds. There is no need to make a fine paste, it is enough if the chicken is shredded finely so that it is easy to spread.
4. Tip the shredded chicken into a bowl, add the rest of its masala and mix well.

To make the green chutney:
6. Next, make the green chutney by grinding all the ingredients mentioned under ‘For the green chutney‘ to a fine paste. Add water sparingly.

To assemble the sandwiches:
7. Place 3 slices of bread on a clean large chopping board. Spread a thin layer butter on one slice. Top it with a layer of green chutney. Place another slice of bread over it. Now spread another thin layer of butter over this slice of bread and then a layer of tandoori chicken spread. Cover wit a last slice of bread. Your double decker sandwich is ready
8. Now using a bread knife or serrated knife trim the brown/hard sides of the bread. Then cut the sandwich diagonally and then again on the other side. Each sandwich should yield 4 mini triangle sandwiches.
9. Decorate sandwiches on a plate and serve with tomato ketchup and/or chutney of your choice.

Notes:
1. Prepare the hung curd by placing about 200-300 grams of thick curds/yogurt in a thin muslin cloth. Make a bundle (potli) of the cloth and tie the loose ends. Hang it over the kitchen sink for 45-50 mins till all the excess whey dribbles away and you are left with thick yogurt. If you end up wit extra hung curd, refrigerate it and use it to prepare dips or marinades.
2. If you wish to make the tandoori chicken in a hurry, you may use your own trusted recipe or add store bought tandoori chicken spice blend of your choice. You may even make use of leftover tandoori chicken kebabs, but i wouldn’t recommend it unless it is hot and fresh. You will still need to add some kind of masala to be able to bring it to a spreadable consistency.