In honor of our AAPI Heritage Month campaign, we are spotlighting the diverse and widespread street food culture found on street corners, night markets, and food stands across Asia and the Pacific. This collection of three recipes inspired by classic street-style bites in India, Vietnam, and Korea will allow you to bring these accessible, hand-held dishes to your very own kitchen.
Mumbai-Inspired Street-Style Sandwich (Dabeli)
4 servings
- 11 ounces potato, cubed
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ ounce fresh garlic, minced
- 8 teaspoons peanuts, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon rice bran oil
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ ounce fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 ounces onion, chopped
- 9 teaspoons pomegranate seeds
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons tamarind date chutney
- 4 English muffins
- 1 teaspoon ghee
Steam the cubed potatoes until tender, then mash them and set aside.
Prepare red chili garlic chutney by combining chili powder and garlic, and adding water until smooth.
Mix roasted peanuts with rice bran oil and garam masala spice.
Add the chopped cilantro and diced onion to the potato mixture, then add salt and half of the pomegranate seeds.
Slice English muffin in half. Add tamarind date chutney on one side and chili garlic chutney on the other side. Top with the potato mixture and masala peanuts. Heat a pan with ghee and toast sandwich on both sides. Garnish with remaining pomegranate seeds, and enjoy!
Vietnamese-Inspired Street Meatball Sandwich (Bánh Mì Xíu Mại)
4 servings
For the meatballs
- 4 ounces ground pork
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 teaspoons fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha
For the slaw
- ½ cup cucumber, shredded
- 1 cup carrot, shredded
- ½ daikon radish, shredded
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2-1/3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2-1/3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
For the hot chili mayo
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- 10 teaspoons mayonnaise
For the sandwich
- 4 demi baguettes (6 inches)
- 2 jalapeños, sliced
- 1 large bunch cilantro
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Make the pork meatballs by combining the ground pork with cornstarch, salt, pepper, cloves, basil, sugar, fish sauce, and sriracha until well mixed. Form into meatballs 1¾ ounces each, and place on a sheet pan. Bake until the meatballs are 155 degrees F on the inside, around 15 minutes. Set aside and chill.
For the hot chili mayo, stir together the Sriracha and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
For the Vietnamese vegetable slaw, combine grated carrot, cucumber, and daikon radish. Add the salt, sesame oil, sugar, and rice vinegar and mix well.
Assemble the sandwiches: Split the baguettes in the center but not all the way through. Spread the hot chili mayo on the top and bottom of the bread. Lay sliced jalapeños, a few sprigs of cilantro, and the meatballs on top of the bread. Top with the vegetable slaw and close the sandwich. Repeat with the remaining baguettes and enjoy.
Korean-Inspired Street Toast with Eggs, Cabbage, and Cheddar (Gilgeori Toast)
4 servings
- 4 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ ounce scallion, chopped
- 1 ounce carrots, chopped
- 3 ounces green cabbage, chopped
- ½ teaspoon oil
- 8 slices white bread
- 1 ounce cheddar cheese, sliced
- 3 teaspoons ketchup
Whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper. Add the chopped scallion, carrots, and green cabbage to the mixture, and mix well to combine.
Heat oil in a skillet. Cook egg mixture, shaping into a square as the eggs set. When the omelet is cooked on one side, cut into four even squares and flip to cook the other side. Remove eggs from the pan.
Toast the bread in the pan, and add a slice of cheddar on half of the bread slices. Lay the omelet square on top of the cheese. Top with ketchup and cover with the second slice of bread to finish building the sandwich.