Back to school lunches

It is Monday Morning again and the kids need to pack their lunches. For those of you who are willing to try some Indian based non messy food, here are some of my favorites.

Good Ole Wheat Sandwiches

Ingredients

6 slices wheat bread
1 tomato, 1 onion, 1 cucumber, 1 boiled potato cut into thin slices
3 tsp green chutney ( a paste of cilantro leaves, green chillies, jeera and sugar and lemon)
3 tsp. sauce (tomato)
butter to apply on bread
salt to taste

Method

Butter the slices of bread.
Apply chutney on top on one slice, sauce on another.
Place a slice, chutney side up on a board.
Pile and arrange few slices each tomato, potato, cucumber, onion .Top with sauced slice,
Press down well.
Serve either as it is. Or roast in a sandwich toaster and cool before packing.
Pack preferable in waxed paper so they don’t get soggy.

Dal Roti

Ingredients

1/4 cup dal
(green moong or yellow moong or black eye peas dal) soaked overnight
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. cumin seed powder
3 tsp. ghee or oil
1 tbsp gram flour
4 chappatis made ahead/pitas will also do

Method

Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of salt on onions.
Keep for 5 mins. Squeeze out water.
Wash the soaked dal well. Drain dal and Grind in a wet grinder till fine.
Add as little water as possible or the roti will become difficult to handle.
Add all ingredients except the rotis and beat well with hand to lighten.
Place and pat a square of the dal mixture on the roti. Fold the empty corners of the roti on the dal square.
Place on a greased warm griddle dal side down.
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. oil.
Cook on low till it becomes light golden brown.
Flip cook other side.
Roast similarly. Cool cut in quarters. Pack.

Veggie Cutlets

Ingredients

2 boiled mashed potatoes
4 slices of bread
1 tbsp cheese grated
1 green chilli chopped fine
1/2 tsp. tomato sauce
salt to taste
1 tiny sprig of spring onion chopped fine
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup milk

Method

Mix well all the ingredients except bread, butter and milk keep aside.
Take milk in a plate. Dip a slice of bread in it for a second.
Remove and place on the board.
Spread some potato mixture in a layer on it.
Warm griddle, grease with butter, lift bread carefully with spatula and place on griddle, potato side down.
Roast on low till golden and crisp.
Flip over roast bread side similarly cut into half triangles.
Cool and pack

Stuffed Rotis with Veggies

Ingredients

3 phulkas or chappatis from wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped boiled vegetables.
1 tbsp. boiled chopped spinach.
1/4 tbsp. of ginger and garlic chopped.
1/2 tsp. chat masala.
salt and pepper to taste.
1/2 tsp. wheat flour.
2 tsp. ghee or oil
1 tsp. butter

Method

Heat butter, add vegetables, ginger, garlic and spinach. Stir for a minute. Add masala, salt and pepper. Sprinkle wheat flour and mix well. Cool. Do not roast the chappatis too crisp while making. Just semi-roast. Spread 1 tbsp. filling through the diameter of the chappati.
Fold in ends where the filling touches the edge. Roll tightly.
Place all 3 chappatis on a warm griddle.
Sprinkle the ghee.
Roast one side golden on low flame.
Invert with spatula.
Roast other side crisp too. Cool.
Pack into lunch box with some ketchup, jam or chutney.

Use fresh boiled corn, grated carrots, onions, broccoli etc.

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