Calling all thecha lovers!
You will simply love these Thecha Cheese Sandwiches by Bethica Das.
The bread slices are stuffed with the very popular Maharashtrian chutney along with cheese and pan-grilled to the exact right shade.
Says Bethica, "So simple and very yummy too. They are a quick snack on the go. Adjust the spiciness if preparing for little ones. Serve with tomato sauce or green chutney."
She suggests that one can mix and match with various ingredients easily available in your kitchen and they can be had for breakfast, snacks, brunch or as a lunch box meal.
In this recipe, Bethica used white bread. It can, she advises, also be made with brown or multigrain bread as per your preference.
Bethica's kitchen is like a lab. She experiments with many types of cuisine and tries all kinds of crossover specials that marry different geographical flavours.
Thecha Cheese Sandwich
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 6-7 green chillies, roughly chopped
- 8-10 garlic pods, sliced
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- ½ cup chopped fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro
- Salt to taste, about ¼ tsp
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 6 slices white bread
- 3 slices cheese
- 2-3 pinches black pepper powder
- Butter as required
Method
For the thecha:
- Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, garlic, green chillies, peanuts.
Sauté till it browns slightly.
Now add the coriander leaves, salt.
Give it a stir and take off heat.
Cool. - Then pound in a mortar and pestle till a coarse consistency.
Add the lime juice and mix well.
Keep aside.
For the sandwiches:
- Spread generous amounts of butter on two slices of bread.
Then spread the thecha on one slice and place a cheese slice over it.
Sprinkle some pepper powder and cover with the second slice of bread. - Repeat for the other 4 slices, so you get 3 sandwiches in all.
- Melt some butter in a frying pan or a grilld pan over medium-low heat and toast the stuffed bread on both sides, by pressing it lightly, till light golden in colour.
Transfer to a serving plate and slice in half.
Serve with tomato sauce or green chutney.
Editor's Note: For a recipe for green chutney use Lahu Kapudskar's Mint-Dhania Chutney.
Bethica Das is a Sharjah-based food blogger. Please do check out her recipes here
