Hung Curd Spinach Cheese Sandwich
Your laid back weekend healthy breakfast. If you are looking for a veg sandwich recipe with high protein without mayonnaise, try these – a healthier take with the same creaminess level.
I normally avoid having commercial bread loaves on a regular basis. But once in every few days, we all crave for sandwiches. They are so versatile that everyone loves them. So, when that craving strikes, I try my best to add as much nutrition as I can.
I still remember when my child was 5 years old, he asked me before bedtime, if he can have cheese sandwich with 5 leaves of spinach for breakfast. 😄 The request was made so sweetly, I had to oblige. This was the time he tasted his first hung curd sandwich. He is 11 now and these are still his all time favourite.
More About Hung Curd Sandwich
This can be your easy-peasy laid back weekend breakfast. Hung curd sandwiches are so easy to whip up. If you are looking for a veg sandwich recipe with high protein without mayonnaise, try these – a healthier take with the same creaminess level. These yogurt sandwiches are packed with probiotics from the curd & essential fiber, vitamins and minerals from spinach & herbs.
This recipe is very basic & is vegetarian but you can easily transform it to egg or chicken yogurt sandwich for more protein.
Greek yogurt also known as Hung curd is nothing but strained yogurt. It is simply homemade yogurt that has been strained off the whey to get a thick and creamy product.
Hung curd can be a great healthy, low calorie substitute for mayonnaise, cream cheese or sour cream.
I have made it using just spinach. You can use other finely chopped fresh vegetables like carrots, cabbage, onions, capsicum. Use herbs of your choice- mint, coriander, parsley, sweet basil. Sky is the limit! Customize this Yogurt Sandwich Recipe the way you want it.
How to Make Hung Curd Spinach Cheese Sandwich
How to make Hung Curd
Hung curd is Greek yogurt. You can buy it from the market or make it at home. I prefer making it at home from homemade fresh curd or dahi. It smells and taste much better than store bought.
Choose a deep bowl for this process. Place a strainer on the bowl and line the strainer with a cheese cloth or a muslin cloth. Make sure you use a thin cloth or the whey will not drip to the bowl.
Add homemade curd or dahi on the cheese cloth. Bring together all the edges and gently squeeze the excess whey. Make a knot and cover the strainer with a lid.
Keep the strainer in the refrigerator for 7 to 8 hours or overnight. You can keep it for 3 to 4 hours also but I prefer keeping it overnight so that the whey completely separates.
How to make Hung Curd Sandwich
Once you have hung curd ready these sandwiches just literally takes 10 minutes to prepare.
1. Heat a small wok or pan. Add olive oil. Tip in finely chopped garlic and cook till the rawness goes.
2. Now add whole lot of spinach leaves and cook on medium flame till the leaves become soft and excess water gets evaporated.
3. Once the water gets evaporated add salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning to taste. If you don’t want to use Italian seasoning, you can skip it and add oregano instead. Mix it all well and then turn off the flame. Allow it to cool a little before adding it to the hung curd.
4. Once the mixture almost comes at room temperature, add it to hung curd and mix well. Add more salt, pepper and seasoning as per your liking.
Tip: To speed up the cooling process, take out the mixture on a large plate, spread it well and keep it under the fan.
5. Now take two wholegrain bread slices and spread the hung curd and spinach mixture generously. Top it with some mozzarella cheese. This step is totally optional but highly recommended. You can use cheese of your choice- cheddar, parmesan go really well. Top it with another bread slice and gently press.
6. Heat a tawa or pan or griddle. Spread a little butter or ghee. Heat the bread slice on both sides on medium to low flame till they crisp up and cheese melts. It should take 2-3 minutes.
7. Before serving slice the sandwich into two equal halves. Serve with ketchup or chill sauce on side or on it’s own.
Pro Tips and Variations
1. To make it more nutritious and to add more protein, you can also mixed boiled eggs to hung curd. Just simply smash the boiled eggs with fork or potato masher before adding it to hung curd. Use one boiled egg for 2 sandwiches.
2. You can also use different veggies for the sandwich. I sometimes like to add sweet corn kernels to spinach. You can also skip spinach if you don’t like it and make them shredded carrots, bell peppers or broccoli. These sandwiches also taste great with sauteed mushrooms. Replace mushrooms with spinach in the above recipe.
3. I wouldn’t recommend a Sandwich Maker for these sandwiches because a sandwich maker takes too long for toast to crisp. Heating these sandwiches for long on high heat not only will destroy all the good bacteria but also will change the texture of hung curd.
4. You can toast these sandwiches in an Air Fryer. Place the buttered slices in an air fryer basket or rack for 2 to 3 minutes on 180 C or till your toast gets crisp.
5. You can also have these sandwiches without grilling. My family and I prefer it grilled or toasted. You can even toast the bread slices separately and then stuff the curd-vegetable mixture between them.
Healthy Hung Curd Spinach Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 cup Hung Curd or 2 cups Curd
- 2 cups Spinach, tightly packed roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped, Garlic
- 1 cup Cheese of your choice (Mozzarella/Cheddar go well)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Chili Flakes optional
- Butter for cooking
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 10 slices Wholegrain Bread
Instructions
- In a pan, olive oil. Add chopped garlic. Sauté till rawness goes. Now add roughly chopped spinach leaves. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper and cook till spinach shrinks and water evaporates.
- Allow it to cool a little. Add spinach in hung curd and mix well. Add black pepper, Italian seasoning, salt & chili flakes (optional). Give a good mix.
- Take 2 bread slices. Spread hung curd mix generously on one slice. Add some grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese on it and top it with another slice.
- You can either grill it in a griller or cook it in a pan using a little butter. If cooking in a pan/griddle, cook on a low flame so that the cheese melts.
How to make Hung Curd at Home
- Line a large sieve with a cheese cloth or muslin cloth. Keep the strainer on a bowl. The bottom of the strainer should not touch the bowl. So choose the bowl accordingly.
- Add regular homemade or store bought curd to a cheese cloth or muslin cloth and squeeze it gently to remove excess whey.
- Cover the curd with a cloth first and then with a lid. Keep the strainer with a bowl underneath in refrigerator for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.
- Excess whey will be collected in the bowl and you will get thick creamy curd. Transfer hung curd in the bowl and proceed with the recipe above.
Notes
- You can toast these sandwiches in an Air Fryer. Place the buttered slices in an air fryer basket or rack for 2 to 3 minutes on 180 C or till your toast gets crisp.
- I wouldn’t recommend a Sandwich Maker for these sandwiches because a sandwich maker takes too long for toast to crisp. Heating these sandwiches for long on high heat not only will destroy all the good bacteria but also will change the texture of hung curd.
- If you do not want to make these sandwiches with spinach, feel free to use veggies of your choice :- carrots, sweet corn kernels, bell peppers go well.
