Spicy Sweet Potato: Samosa Monte Cristo Sandwich

The Samosa Monte Cristo sandwich is an unusual yet amazing creation that combines the filling of a fried samosa with the egg-battered Monte Cristo Sandwich. The inspiration and basis for this recipe came from Vegan Samosa French Toast posted on Vegan Richa. While samosas are typically made with potato, my variation contains butternut squash and pumpkin that are sauteed with Indian spices and herbs make a creamy and flavorful “samosa” filling. The filling is then sandwiched between two bread slices, and dipped in egg batter. Once pan- fried, the perfectly crisp sandwich is topped with a dollop of spiced yogurt sauce to create a truly delightful sandwich.

Samosa Monte Cristo Sandwich
Gluten Free
Serves One
Samosa Monte Cristo Sandwich

Ingredients--
Filling--
6 ounces butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cubed (about 1.25 cups once cubed)
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 teaspoon jalapeno, finely minced (adjust or omit according to heat preference)
2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon vegetable broth, gluten free
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons frozen peas, defrosted and drained
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper

Egg Batter:
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Sandwich:
2 slices light gluten free sandwich bread (I used Ener-G Light Tapioca )

Spiced Yogurt Sauce:
2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable broth,check for gluten
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil spray. Place squash on baking sheet, spray with a layer of olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper.

2. Roast squash 35-40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, or until squash is tender and golden around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside. {Note-- You can roast the squash a few days ahead of time if you want to make this recipe quicker to put together. Store roasted squash in a container or sealed ziploc bag in the fridge until ready to use}.

3. Once the squash is roasted, begin the sandwich filling-- add olive oil to a medium skillet and heat to low. Add coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds to the pan and toast for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Add garlic, jalapeno, and ginger to skillet and sauté for 1 minute.

5. Raise heat to medium, then stir in roasted squash, turmeric, garam masala, and broth. Sauté squash for 3-4 minutes, or until most of the broth is absorbed. While sautéing, mash the squash with back of spatula. (Don’t worry about making it completely smooth, just mash them up a bit).

6. Stir in pumpkin puree then season vegetable mixture with salt and pepper. Continue to cook vegetables 2-3 minutes, or until pumpkin is heated through.

7. Fold defrosted peas and fresh parsley into filling, then remove from heat.

8. To prepare the egg batter- whisk together all ingredients in a shallow bowl (large enough to fit a slice of bread).

9. Lay bread slices flat on work surface. Scoop the vegetable filling onto one slice of bread, then top with remaining bread slice to form a sandwich. (Leave skillet out to use for frying the sandwich).

10. Place sandwich in egg batter and let soak for 1-2 minutes.

11. Flip sandwich and let soak for 1-2 minutes on second side. While the second side is soaking, wipe out skillet used to cook filling and respray with olive oil spray. Heat over medium-low heat.

12. Carefully pick up sandwich from egg batter and turn to coat edges with egg, then place in preheated skillet.

13. Cook sandwich 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip sandwich, and continue to cook 2-3 minutes more, or until golden on both sides. Carefully pick up sandwich and sear edges of sandwich as well.

14. While the sandwich is cooking, stir together all ingredients for Spiced Yogurt Sauce in a small bowl.

15. Once golden on all sides, place sandwich on serving plate and top with spiced yogurt sauce. Enjoy!