Creating some Indian-style sandwich fillings with a little touch of spice is a great way to jazz up your lunches, or to add a new dimension to your packed lunch for work.
Making your own sandwich filling is a great way to save those pennies at lunchtime, plus you can make anything you fancy - and you know exactly what has gone into it.
You can also opt for making them with low-fat mayo, using delicious wholemeal bread and adding some salad to produce an altogether healthier option.
Chicken Tikka Sandwich Filling
I love to spice up leftover roast chicken to make this Chicken Tikka filling. It’s such a good way to use up leftovers and only takes a few minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp salt
- Tiny squeeze of lemon juice
- Pinch of fresh coriander, chopped
- 100g cold cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 iceberg lettuce leaves
Method
- Mix the spices and coriander into the mayonnaise.
- Add the shredded meat and mix to coat it all.
- Smear the filling onto some fresh naan (or bread) with some crisp lettuce and enjoy!
Paneer and Bacon Sandwich Filling
If you love a toasted sandwich then you just have to try this paneer and bacon filler. I always go for lovely thick cut smoked bacon for really good flavour.
This is what the Paneer & Bacon filling looks like in a Parantha.
Ingredients
- 100g paneer
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- 2-3 rashers of bacon, cooked and sliced
- 1 or 2 chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
Method
- Grate the paneer and place in a bowl.
- Cook the bacon and slice into thin strips.
- Add to the bowl with all the spices and cream cheese and mix together.
- Place the filling onto a slice of bread and top with another slice of bread.
- Butter the outside and grill in a frying pan or sandwich toaster until golden brown.
Tomato Chutney
I also love to keep a jar of my homemade spiced tomato chutney in the fridge. Smear it onto a cheese or ham sandwich and it will totally transform a boring sarnie into something exotic and wonderful.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp kalonji seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried Kashmiri red chillies
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 200ml white vinegar
- 250g jaggery or brown sugar
- 1 kg tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp chilli powder, optional
Method
- Dissolve the sugar with the vinegar in a bowl. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and add all the spices until they sizzle & become fragrant - this should only take a minute.
- Very gently, pour the vinegar and sugar mixture into the pan with the spices and stir. Bring this to a simmer.
- Add in the tomatoes and cook on a very low heat until they have softened and have gone pulpy (about 1 hour).
- Season with salt and chilli powder and then stir to keep it from sticking. If you want to remove any of the tomato skins then do so with some tongs.
- Put the chutney into a sterilised glass jar and leave to cool.
- Once cooled, seal the jar. The chutney will keep for 4-6 weeks. Refrigerate once opened.
More sandwich fillings on the website
I have lots of other lovely sandwich ideas on the website too, like my Tandoori Turkey Filler and Lamb Pitta Toastie to make lunchtimes a bit more exciting!
Nutritionist Mira
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