Easy Lunch Box Ideas

I cannot believe I haven't posted anything since the beginning of this year. I guess I got so caught up in the daily routine - office, kid's school, home work, extra curricular activities, volunteering etc. that this blog got put on the back burner. Now that summer vacation is here, I feel so relaxed, like a load has lifted off.

 

Here are couple of quick and easy lunches that featured weekly in my kid's lunch box when school was on.

 

Pesto Cucumber Sandwich

 

 

 

Take 2 slices of bread. Butter one slice on one side and generously apply pesto on a side of the other slice. I use Costco's Basil Pesto. Make few thin slices of cucumber, pat dry on a paper towel. Sandwich between the 2 slices of bread. That's it. Ready in 2 minutes flat.

 

 

I have also taken this to picnics and parties (my daughter's 5th grade graduation party at school) and it carries well and is appreciated by all.

 

Mini Paneer & Peppers Skewers

 

Cube paneer pieces and cut green and red bell peppers into squares. Sprinkle some salt, cumin pwd, coriander pwd and a tsp of oil over the paneer and peppers. Mix gently. Let sit for 5 mins.

Then roast in a non-stick pan on medium high heat for 3 to 5 mins until paneer cubes are lightly browned and peppers are slightly cooked but still firm. Take off heat and sprinkle some chaat masala.

Let cool for 5 mins, then thread on to toothpicks. Pack in lunchbox or serve immediately. If making for young kids probably better to avoid the toothpicks altogether.

Paneer Parathas

Paneer Parathas are made by stuffing regular roti dough with a tangy paneer filling. They are good for lunch boxes or picnic lunches.

Here's how I make them:

For the dough - 1 cup wheat flour, pinch of salt, abt 1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water. Mix together to form a soft pliable dough. Coat with a drop of oil and keep covered with a damp cloth for atleast 1/2 hr.

For the paneer stuffing - Grate paneer to get abt 1 cup. I like to stuff my parathas to the brim, you can adjust per your liking. I use store-bought paneer, so my stuffing is quite dry and crumbly. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp amchur pwd, 1/4 tsp chaat masala, 1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi, 1/2 tsp red chile pwd, 1 tsp coriander-cumin pwd. Adjust seasonings per taste. Mix all well and divide into 4 parts.

To proceed - Divide dough into 4 parts. Form each into a round hollow bowl and stuff with the seasoned paneer.

Close the bowls by bringing the dough edges together. Use flour to dust and roll into a circle. Heat on a tawa using a few drops of oil until brown spots form on both sides.

This will make 4 big paneer parathas. Serve with raita, pickles etc. Today we had this with palak raita and carrot pickle.

Paneer Pasanda with Whole Wheat Naan

I first saw Paneer Pasanda on Wah Re Wah where the chef made pockets in large paneer triangles and stuffed them. That method did not work for me as the paneer triangles kept breaking up as I tried to stuff them. Then I saw this recipe on Sangeeta's Banaras Ka Khana - she sandwiched the stuffing between paneer triangles and also gave good step-by-step instructions. So this time I tried it her way. The sandwiched paneer stuck together beautifully and stayed stuck well.

For the stuffing, I used ground cashews, finely chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. I used a thin mixture of flour and water to bind the sandwiches.

For the gravy, I had some frozen extra dum aloo gravy, so I used that.

I served the Paneer Pasanda with Whole Wheat Naans that I learnt from Monsoon Spice. I pretty much follow her method, except for the cooking part. Since I have electric coils I am very scared to flip the pan with the naan stuck to it - what if it falls on the coil and creates a mess? So I just cook it on the pan like regular rotis. But one of these days I will muster up the courange to try cooking it her way. I also saw an interesting way of using the pressure cooker as a tandoor on Charan's Creative with Clay. I am determined to try that too.

Paneer Pasanda and Whole Wheat Naans were part of my Thanksgiving Indian menu.

Paneer - Chole Spinach Curry

This recipe is adapted from the Indian Cooking without fat book by Mridula Baljekar. I had borrowed it from the library and the moment I read the title of this recipe I fell for it - you can't go wrong with this wonderful combination of paneer, chole and spinach - all my favorites. Plus her way of pre-cooking the paneer to help it absorb the curry flavors really intrigued me and I have followed this method ever since with excellent results.

Here's how I make it:

1 cup cubed paneer - drop in boiling water and drain after 1 min.
1 can chole/garbanzo beans/chickpeas - drained and rinsed
1 cup roughly chopped spinach
1 onion - chopped
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
2 tomatoes chopped
Salt & Sugar to taste
Other spices  - 1/4 tsp turmeric pwd., 1 tsp cumin pwd., 1 tsp coriander pwd., 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd, 1/4 tsp garam masala pwd.
1 tbsp oil

Heat the oil. Fry the onions for 5 -10 mins until soft. Add the ginger and garlic paste. Fry 2 mins. Add the tomatoes. Cook on low 5 - 10 mins until very soft. Cool slightly and grind to a puree. Return to the pot. Add the chole, paneer, spinach, salt, sugar and all the other spice pwds. Mix well. Simmer on medium low for 5 - 10 mins.

This goes well with any kind of Indian bread or rice dish.

This curry goes to the Letz Relish Paneer event at Taste Appetite.

This Paneer-Chole-Spinach curry also goes to the Show Me Your curry event at Divya's Dil-Se.

Palak Paneer

This is a healthy and tasty way to incorporate spinach in your diet. After many trials & errors I have found this procedure best retains the fresh green spinach color.

4 cups packed spinach leaves - washed
1 1/2 cup cubed paneer
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
1/4 tsp cinnamon pwd
1/4 tsp cloves pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kitchen king masala
1 tsp salt or per taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 - 3 tsp oil

Microwave the spinach with a sprinkling of water and salt for about 2 - 4 mins.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Lightly fry the cubed paneer. Drain them onto a paper towel.
Update 4/28/2013 - These days I have been marinating the paneer, per recipe from Aarti Sequeira at foodnetwork.com. I marinate the cubed paneer is some oil that is seasoned with salt, red chilli pwd and little turmeric pwd. After about 10 mins, I shallow fry the paneer and proceed as always. This adds a little extra zing to a dish which could sometimes be a little bland for some palates.

In the meanwhile, puree the onions. (I bought a Magic Bullet blender/processor a while back and it works great for quick purees/pwds etc.). Add the pureed onions to the same pan in which the paneer was fried. I do not usually add any more oil at this stage. Fry the onions on medium high for atleast 5 mins. Puree the tomatoes and add to the onions, along with the ginger paste, cumin pwd, coriander pwd, red chilli pwd, cinnamon pwd and cloves pwd. Fry another 5 - 7 mins on medium. Puree the microwaved spinach. Do not add too much water, 2 - 3 tbsp should be enough. Add the pureed spinach to the onion - tomato mix. Add salt, sugar, lemon juice, garam masala and kitchen king masala. Mix well. Simmer on low for 5 mins. Add the fried paneer and simmer for another 5 mins.

Thats it. Tasty, healthy palak paneer is ready. Goes well with rotis/naans/parathas or pulavs.

Paneer-Peppers subji

This is an incredibly simple and tasty dry subji I learnt from an old school friend.

2 bell peppers - (I used 1 green & 1 yellow here) - cut into long thin pieces
400 gms paneer - cut into long thin slices
2 tomatoes chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp kasuri methi
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd or to taste
Salt to taste
Ghee or oil
Cilantro to garnish

Heat the oil. Fry the ginger and garlic pastes for a min. Add the bell peppers and dry spices. Cover and cook on medium for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes. Cook till the fat separates. Add kasuri methi & salt. Cook a few more mins. Add the paneer. If desired, the paneer can be fried separately before adding - I usually shallow fry it in a non-stick pan with a few drops of oil. After adding the paneer to the subji, cover and cook for 2-3 mins. Garnish w/cilantro.