Click here to watch me prepare this recipe on my IGTV.
Ok. Let me start by saying that if you have to pick just ONE recipe to make from this little blog of mine, you want it to be this one. The potato filling inside of this sandwich isn’t technically the same one I use to stuff samosas, but in my house, we still refer to this as the “samosa grilled cheese.” This sandwich has got spicy and sweet chutneys, and I love to make it on some sourdough bread for extra crunch, but some classic buttery white bread would also work well.
This recipe calls for two chutneys: cilantro chutney and a tamarind date chutney. Tamarind Date chutney will be included in my 2023 debut cookbook so stay tuned for that but in the meantime I’ve included a quick apple butter chutney that my mom made growing up. The apple butter gives you a tart sweetness very similar to that of tamarind and it works great in this recipe. If you make batches of fresh chutney for this recipe, its a great idea to place the leftovers into ice cube trays, cover in a sealed ziplock and then place in the freezer. This will keep the chutney fresh and you can pop out one or two cubes at a time when you need it. Simply defrost it in the fridge !
What kind of cheese is best to use?
You can use everything from sliced white American cheese, to sliced Amul cheese, or even bagged pre shredded Italian blend cheese. You want something mild and not overpowering so it doesn’t clash with all of the other flavors in this recipe.
Serve these sandwiches nice and hot with a little extra chutney on the side of dippin! If you make it, please be sure to send it to me or share on your IG stories and tag @thechutneylife! I love seeing your creations!
Happy Eating !!
Samosa Grilled Cheese
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 6 Sandwiches
Ingredients
2 tbsp neutral oil like vegetable or canola
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon hing
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic clove, grated
3 large potatoes, peeled boiled and diced
2 teaspoons coriander-cumin powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
8 slices sandwich bread like Sourdough, or White Sliced Bread
8 Slices White American Cheese, or Sliced Amul Cheese, or 8 oz shredded cheese of choice
1 cup prepared Tamarind -Date Chutney or Apple Butter Chutney (recipe below)
1 cup Cilantro Chutney (recipe below)
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Quick Apply Butter Chutney:
Combine the following ingredients:
1/2 cup Apple butter
1 teaspoon coriander cumin powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
6 tbsp water (more or less to achieve a spreadable consistency- should be thick)
1/8 teaspoon of black salt (sanchar)
Cilantro Chutney:
- 2 bunches cilantro, chopped roughly (bottom 1-2 inch stems removed)
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 inch knob of ginger
- 4 serrano green chilis or thai green chili (more or less depending on your spice level)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 a lime, squeezed
- 3 tbsp peanuts, plain unsalted unroasted (available at most Indian grocery stores)
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- water as needed to help blend the chutney
Instructions
Cilantro Chutney:
- Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender and blend, stopping in between to scrape down the sides of the blender. Add the water in small quantities - adding too much water too quickly will give you a thin watery chutney and for this recipe you want the consistency to be thicker. Blend and set aside.
Potato Mixture:
- In a non stick skillet add 2 tbsp oil over medium high heat.
- Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing and let the seeds crackle.
- Add the diced onions and cook until onions are translucent and golden around the edges.
- Lower the heat slightly and add the grated garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander cumin powder, garam masala powder and mix well.
- Add the potatoes, salt, and continue to stir and combine all ingredients gently until everything is evenly incorporated
- Using the back of a spoon or a potato masher, gently smash the potatoes if they are too large and continue to stir.
- Remove from heat.
Assembly:
- In a medium size skillet melt over medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of butter until it is foamy and melted.
- Lay two slices of bread down on the pan and spread one of the slices with roughly 1 tablespoon of cilantro chutney and the other slice with about 1 tablespoon of apple butter chutney.
- Add a slice of cheese or handful of shredded cheese on top of the cilantro chutney, then top with about 1/3 cup of the potato mixture, using the back of a spoon to press it down, and then place the remaining slice of bread (apple butter chutney side down) on top. Use a spatula to gently press the sandwich down and continue to cook until both sides are golden. To help the cheese melt, cover the pan with a melting dome. Repeat with remaining ingredients and add butter as needed to the pan.
- Top the potato mixture with a few spoonfuls of the sweet chutney and top with another slice of cheese.
- Serve the sandwiches hot, and enjoy!
Omigod! This samosa grilled cheese sandwich is bae <3
Namrata, it’s seriously one of my favorite recipes. Believe it or not Im not even a huge fan of potatoes (besides mashed potatoes) but this grilled cheese is EVERYthing lol! Hope you get a chance to try it out, you will not be disappointed!
Palak. Please specify the quality/type of the bread. I tried this recipe with some leftover “English Sandwich” bread and some sourdough bread. Both tasted fantastic. Sourdough came out really crunchy. IMO the quality/freshness of the bread makes a huge difference on the overall quality of grilled cheese.
Hi! Gave this a shot today and it was so Delish! Reminded me of Mom’s cooking 🙂
You missed the turmeric powder in the recipe
I followed the samosa recipe completely except I had to guess the amount of turmeric (I used 1/4tsp), this recipe is beyond perfect.
I had to improvise for a chutney because I didn’t have many ingredients for one. I will definitely be making this again and again, thank you!
Megan,
Thanks so much!! Sorry you had to guess the turmeric, I will go ahead and add it, but 1/4 tsp sounds perfect- you only need a little bit!! Thanks for stopping by and hope you continue to try some recipes !
Hi! Would you recommend making these in the panini maker (just for sheer convenience)?
Hey! You can definitely do that but I don’t like to squeeze them too much since the filling is already all soft. I think its easier and better on a skillet with less of a mess oozing everywhere!
Hey Palak! Just made this recipe over the weekend and my husband was dancing while eating it! True pleasures of enjoying such a scrumptious recipe. My non-Indian friend also couldn’t stop munching away! Thank you so much for blogging. My husband and I are always seeking ideas for lunch/dinner and use your blog for inspiration! Xoxo