Farmhouse Grilled Sandwich With Masala Bread, Homemade Pasta/Pizza Sauce, And Feta Cheese

I struck gold while I was thinking about what to make for dinner yesterday, and I couldn’t wait to tell you guys all about it. That is just what today’s post is all about.

What happened was this: I was clueless about what to make last night, and made a mental checklist of all the things I had on hand. I had some masala bread that I recently picked up from Iyengar’s Bakery, a packet of feta cheese and some fresh veggies in the refrigerator, and some home-made pasta/pizza sauce I made a couple of days back. The husband and I were in the mood for something warm and comforting, thanks to the sweater weather that Bangalore is experiencing at the moment. So, I came up with the idea of making a sandwich in the same way as I normally make my Farmhouse Grilled Sandwich – only, this time around, I would be using masala bread instead of brown bread, pasta/pizza sauce instead of spicy green chutney, and feta cheese instead of processed or cheddar cheese. I did just that, and the end result was oh, so lovely!

I was blown over by the riot of colours that was the inside of this sandwich – I found it so very therapeutic and soul-satisfying just assembling it. The taste was gorgeous – the saltiness of the feta, the spiciness of the bread, the crunch of the veggies, the herb flavour of the sauce, and the tanginess of the mustard sauce that I added to the sandwich all balanced each other out so beautifully. It made for a filling, satisfying dinner, much loved by the family. I am very, very sure this is not the last time we will be eating this sandwich. 🙂

The husband and I fell in love with this sandwich a bit more when we realised that it represented foods from three different countries – feta cheese from Greece, masala bread from India, and pasta/pizza sauce from Italy. What was even better was that everything I used in the sandwich was sourced locally, or as near to locally as could be sourced. Iyengar’s Bakery, where I bought the bread, is a little, non-commercial bakery, part of a chain of bakeries in Bangalore, which has been around in the city for years on end, which has stood the test of time, and held its own in the face of the introduction of hundreds of exotic flavours and foods by newer bakeries. The feta cheese came from Kodai Farms in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, just a few hours’ drive away from Bangalore. The veggies came from our local vegetable vendor, who prides himself on selling the freshest of produce. The Italian-inspired pasta/pizza sauce was home-made. Super, right?

How did I make the sandwich? Here goes.

Ingredients:

Masala bread (Preferably from a good, recognised Iyengar Bakery outlet. This particular bread of theirs is loaded with very Indian spices, as well as bits and pieces of onion and chillies)

Home-made red pasta/pizza sauce (Here’s how I make it)

Seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped into thin circles

Capsicum, chopped length-wise

Onion, peeled and cut into thin circles

Pitted black olives in brine (store-bought)

Feta cheese

Mustard sauce

Method:

1. Spread the red pasta/pizza sauce thickly on two slices of bread.
2. Place two thin rounds of onion in the centre of one of these slices.
3. Arrange two or three strips of capsicum over the onion, and place four to five rounds of cucumber on top of them.
4. Spread some crumbled feta cheese over the veggies.
5. Top with four or five olives and a couple of little squirts of the mustard sauce. Don’t go too heavy-handed on the mustard sauce.
6. Close the sandwich using the other slice of bread on which you spread the pasta/pizza sauce earlier.
7. Prepare as many sandwiches as you want, in a similar fashion.
8. Grill the sandwiches in a sandwich maker till they turn a little brown and crispy on the outside.
9. Serve piping hot. These sandwiches have all the flavours that one can need right inside them, so they don’t really require an accompaniment.

You like? I hope you’ll try this one at home, and that you’ll love it too! Can’t wait to hear your feedback!

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If you have been reading this blog for long, you’ll know how much I adore sandwiches. Sandwiches are often my go-to option for lunch or dinner.

Here are some tried and tested sandwich recipes from my kitchen:

Quite a few options here!

Caprese-style sandwich

Hung curd open sandwich

Dabeli sandwich

Iyengar Bakery-style bread toast

Farmhouse grilled sandwich

 

 

 

 

 

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