Move over vada pav. If you are non vegetarian, cutlet pav is way to go. If you ever walked the streets of Goa, cutlet pav was never far away. When it's too late for lunch and too early for dinner, cutlet pav is your best bet to satiate that hunger. Crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside meat cutlets, slathered with spicy chutney on toasted pao...can it get any better?! I've humbly tried to endeavour.
I really wanted to add my own zing with this Goan staple. Ever heard of a juicy lucy? If you've never been to Dunkin Dounuts or Minneapolis (where it was 'invented'), it's a burger with cheese inside. As simple as that sounds, the suprising pop of melting cheese when you take a bite into the burger is just pure heaven.
So what happens when you mix a Goan street food with Minneapolis' contribution to the world? Look at the beauty below to find out.
Makes 4 servings
For the cutlet:
250gms minced beef (you can use chicken but I can't promise you the same result)
1tsp garlic paste
1tbsp vinegar or lime juice
1 egg
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper according to taste
8 slices of cheese*
Oil for frying
For the green chutney:
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1/2 onion
1/2 tomato
1/2 inch ginger
3 cloves of garlic
2-3 green chillis
Salt
4 Ladi pav buns + 4 slices of cheese
*Cheddar or mozzerella is the best cheese to use for this recipe. I had quite a bit of left over blue cheese which I've used instead. If you do end up using blue cheese ensure you use less than a teaspoon serving per patty. Blue cheese has a very strong flavour and it's not everyone's cup of tea. Plus your core won't be molten as evident in the pictures.
In a bowl, mix all the cutlet ingredients together with your hands. Ensure all ingredients are well incorporated. Roll this mixture into small balls and flatten with the palm of your hands to form cutlets. If the mixture is too wet and not holding its shape, add some more breadcrumbs. Ensure the size of these cutlets is just enough to fill your pav. Make 8 thin cutlets for 4 cutlet paos
Cut each slice of cheese into 4 equal slices and stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 cutlets. Press down on the edges to tightly seal the cheese within the cutlet. Cook the cutlets on a medium heat in a heavy bottomed skillet. Cook till cutlets are well browned on both sides (approx 5mins). It is common for the meat to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Incase you notice this, prick the top of each cutlet to allow steam to escape.
For the chutney:
In a blender, add all ingredients with 2-3 tbsp of water.Blend till a smooth puree. You can bottle excess chutney and refriderate for upto 10days or freeze for upto 1 month. You can use this chutney in any concieveable dish, right from sanwiches to dips to kebab mariandes to even curry.
To serve, toast ladi paos and slather with greenchutney. Add the cutlet and top with another slice of cheese. Top with a fried egg and some more green chutney.
