Lunchbox Series - Bombay Sandwich

I’ve been asked why the lunchbox series seemed to stall after our move to Singapore. I don’t think the move itself had much to do with it, nor the fact that Nikhil is now almost a tween. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s quite the foodie and still prefers his yummy and healthy home-packed lunches (even if I say so myself) over cafeteria food.

The real issue, oddly enough, has been the lunchbox.

I used to enjoy packing lunches in the “laptop lunch” style, with separate portions of fruit, vegetables, protein, and carbs. Those adorable compartmentalized containers made it easy to ensure a balanced meal. When we moved here, I assumed we were entering “bento land” with all the Asian and Japanese influences. So I invested, yes, those fancy bento containers are frighteningly expensive in a Zojirushi three-tier bento kit for Nikhil’s fifth grade.

Sadly, it lasted exactly one month.

The Zojirushi was declared too heavy to carry, and one day it simply never made it home. Lost in some mysterious black hole at school, or perhaps adopted by a lucky cleaning staff member — no one really knows. The bottom line is that we’re now on our seventh lunch container, which has since been reduced to disposable boxes or even a foil-wrapped burrito tucked into a brown bag.

Did it conveniently “get lost”? I’m not entirely sure, but it does seem to be a trend among middle schoolers to skip carrying separate lunch bags altogether. With the demise of laptop-style lunches, I also lost some inspiration to photograph and showcase the contents.

That said, Nikhil still cares very much about what’s inside his lunch. For the most part, he insists he prefers his home-packed meals over the “sad” lunches at school — except, of course, on pizza or Subway days. I can’t say for certain whether the school lunches are truly that sad, but I’m secretly enjoying this phase while it lasts. I’ll take it as a compliment, even if it confirms he’s still very much a Mama’s boy.

So this past week’s lunch menu featured a sandwich you’ll find at almost every street corner in Bombay. I came across this recipe in a book I recently picked up in India: Sanjeev Kapoor’s Tiffins: Delicious and Healthy Khana for Your Dabba.

The book has several quick and easy lunch ideas, though many would be better suited for a traditional Indian tiffin dabba or tiered bento box. Still, if we ever return to that trend, these recipes are tempting enough to make their way back into our lunch rotation. Or better yet, I may just start carrying an Indian dabba to work so I can try them myself.

This recipe does require a bit of advance planning, mainly for the green chutney and boiled potatoes. Once those are ready, however, it comes together very quickly, making it perfect for hectic Monday mornings.

It’s a truly lip-smacking sandwich and has earned a spot in our every-other-week lunch calendar. Yes, I do keep one — otherwise, the schedules would drive me crazy. I’m happy to share my weekly lunch menu as well if there’s interest.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)
• 1/2 cup green chutney (coriander and mint chutney, recipe below)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1/2 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 medium potato, boiled, peeled, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp sandwich masala or chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp crushed peppercorns
• Salt to taste

Green Chutney Method

I use a fantastic green chutney recipe adapted from Panfusine. While there are countless versions of green chutney, I love this one for its unusual ingredient — feta cheese — which adds a subtle fermented, yogurt-like quality. It also gives the chutney a vibrant green color and thick consistency, making it perfect as a sandwich spread. I’ve tweaked it slightly by adding mint.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 bunch mint (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 green chilies
• Salt to taste

Blend all ingredients into a smooth paste, adding a little water as needed.

Method for Bombay Sandwich

Trim the bread slices and spread butter and green chutney on one slice. You can skip the butter if you prefer, or include it to mellow the spice level.

Lay two chutney-smeared slices with the chutney side facing up. Arrange the onion, cucumber, tomato, and potato slices evenly over the chutney.

Sprinkle with sandwich masala or chaat masala, then add the crushed peppercorns and a pinch of salt if needed.

Top with another slice of bread, chutney side facing down.

Cut each sandwich into two portions if desired and pack with tomato ketchup. Alternatively, wrap the sandwiches in greaseproof paper to prevent sogginess. These sandwiches hold up surprisingly well in a lunchbox and stay fresh until later afternoon meals.