Spicy Meat Sandwich with Cheese and Pineapples - "Roti John" makeover!

I commented at Noobcook's Pita Pizza post that the way she pans out her pizza reminded me of the dog gone days (it was in 2007, my god!) of me making Pita Pizza. Pita bread as the base, slather with tomato pasta sauce, then top with choice of favorite ingredients. Voila!

Pita Pizza, made 2007, topped with Spicy Italian Sausage, cheese, pineapples

Then, I have to revive an old draft of mine - hiding among others...awaiting 1tbsp of inspiration, and one bowl of writing efforts (time). Unveiling the New Age Roti John Pizza Sandwich. Saving you from the argument to be classified as Pizza (open dough) or more appropriately, Calzone (turnover, enclosed dough), it depends on how you want to eat it.

What (or who) is Roti John? You may not be familiar with this name "Roti John" which appeared to be a name derived during the British Colony when sandwiches were prepared for the Englishman whom people like to address as "John". Roti (meaning Bread) John means "Sandwich for John". Roti John as I have tasted before has spiced minced meat (lamb) filling, served on baguette (French bread) usually like a Pizza: open-face (sometime partially egg-dipped) toasted baguette topped with curried minced meat.

With the Turkish Pide Bread, slice it open-face and ...toppings...fillings!

The "makeover": The New Age Mr. Roti John I have created, harps new notes from some of my favorite pizza toppings - cheese and pineapples. And I swear the combination of cheese and pineapples is perfect on the fried curried minced meat.

Curried Minced Meat Sandwich with Mozarella Cheese and Pineapples ...(poooof...mouthful)
Ingredients: Minced meat; tomato, cut into bite-size; garlic, minced, onion; minced; egg, whisked; pinch of cumin and fennel powder; pinch of turmeric, 1tsp curry powder; salt and black pepper to taste; mozarella cheese to sprinkle; pineapples cubes

Directions: Heat oil (or butter) in pan. Add cumin, fennel, turmeric and curry powder, garlic and onions and fry till fragrant. Then add the minced meat and fry briskly on medium heat. Add the tomatoes and continue frying. Add the whisked egg gently into the minced meat mixture and continue frying till the meat mixture is  cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste and more curry powder if you prefer more curry flavor. Set the meat mixture aside.

With the Turkish Pide Bread (note: substitute for Baguette), slice it open-face and sprinkle cheese on it. Then top with fried meat filling, then sprinkle more cheese, top with pineapples, then more cheese. Toast it till the cheese melts.

Pack your lunch: And because I always enjoy more filling, and the convenience of take-along, I sandwiched the filling with another layer of bread (THAT...can enclose and wrap more filling and easier to eat like a sandwich!). If you wish to prepare more portions to bring along for next day's lunch, you can repeat the above "decorations" without toasting it. Wrap the prepared sandwich with aluminum foil (See? I told you a sandwich is easier to wrap since the fillings are now protected...inside!) and before you want to eat, toast the sandwich (already in the foil) in a toaster oven. Voila! Unwrap and eat!


Have you tried something similar? Maybe Sloppy Joe is the wetter American version of the above similar ?

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Tag: sandwich, pizza, roti