Easy and Desified Mushroom and Spinach Sandwich Recipe

I am sure when you were in college, or are still in college, you must have your one favorite, everyday meal. Back in 2018 when I was in college, there was an American cafe where my best friend and I had our favorite meal. It was a cheese mushroom and spinach sandwich with an iced cold coffee and a scoop of ice cream on top. 

Whenever we placed an order, we couldn’t hold ourselves with that temptation. Now that I think about it, it literally gives me that nostalgic feeling. So, you know what I did? Obviously, I tried that at home. But the outcome didn’t turn out well. 

If you are wondering, it wasn’t good, well! That isn’t true. It turned out to be really amazing.

Oh! Forgot to tell you, I was out of cheese and Italian seasoning while I was trying out this recipe. So, I desified it a bit. I used some essential and easy-to-get ingredients. These ingredients are already there in your kitchen, and yes, you definitely don’t need to go out to buy them. 

Here we are using just 4 main ingredients for the filling, onion, garlic, mushroom, and spinach. If you want you can add other ingredients as well. Here is an idea, you can add sweet corn, capsicum, broccoli, and anything you want. Just make sure they are finely chopped; otherwise, it will keep falling out. 

Do you wanna try that out? Let’s get to the recipe right away. Read on…

Prep time- 15 minutes

Serve- 4 people

Time to cook- 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 200gm Mushroom
• 300gm Spinach
• 3-4 chopped garlic
• 1 medium-size onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon refined oil
• 1 teaspoon Red Chili powder
• Salt to taste
• Bread slices
• Malai / Fresh thick cream

Procedure for the Sandwich

To make this recipe even more quickly, let’s cut down the procedure into 2 steps. The first one will be about making the filling, and the second one will be about stuffing and toasting it.

Let’s make the filling.

• You can use finely or even roughly chopped mushrooms. The spinach should be chopped evenly. However, if you want, you can use spinach leaves as is if they are baby leaves. 
• Now, take a pan and put it on medium-hot flame.

• The first thing to add is oil. Here we are using soya oil. You can use any oil that does not have a strong smell. This is because if you use something smelly, it will add a solid oily flavor to the sandwich. 
• Next, add chopped garlic to infuse the flavor of garlic to the oil. 

• It's time to add onions. Mix it well in garlic-flavored oil and let it cook for a while. Mix it in between so that it cooks evenly. 
• When the garlic and onion turn a bit golden, add mushroom. Mix it well. 
• Right away, add spinach. Spinach and mushroom take equal time to cook. 

• Put the spices, which include just salt and red chili powder. One major desi factor because we are not using any Italian or all-purpose seasoning here. So, mix it well to spread the flavors.
• Now, put the lid on and leave it to cook for about 2 minutes. You will notice that the mixture will release its water. 

• You need to evaporate all the water. Once it is done and you get that dry but not-too-dry consistency, turn off the flame. 

Make the sandwich

• To start with this, take 2 slices of bread (white, brown, or multigrain).
• Spread a thin layer of fresh cream or Malai on each slice. Yes! We have substituted cheese and mayonnaise with Malai. This is one of the desi factors we are using here. 

• Now it's time to spread the filling that we have just prepared. 
• Cover this with the other slice. 
• Apply ghee on both sides. You can use butter if you don’t wanna go with the ghee. However, ghee feels more Indian and gives your sandwich an authentic Indian taste. 
• Time to go to the flame. Take a pan, preferably non-stick, and put the greased-up sandwich on it. 
• Allow it to toast as per your satisfaction and flip it. 

• Toast it from both sides evenly. Cut it into half once you get that crispiness. 

There you go, time to serve it hot from the pan. Get your favorite kind of sauce and start your snack-o-clock. 

But if you are having some guests and want to make that chef impression, I would recommend having green mint chutney and garlic sauces. Both desi sauces are perfect for quenching your spicy thirst. 

Time for Tips

While cooking up anything, you need to keep a few things in mind. However, this recipe is totally beginner-friendly and super easy to make. Still, you need to keep a few things in mind. What are they?

• Don’t dry your filling too much. Too much dried-up filling will probably give you that rough taste. You don’t want that. 
• Don’t leave the water in the filling. If you think leaving water to the filling will make your sandwich moist, well! You are wrong. On the other hand, it will become hard to manage and will not give you that crisp crust.
• Manage the amount of salt you are using. As per my suggestion, you must keep a little saltier because the cream or malai you would be using is saltless. But make sure it's not too much to be handled. 
• Let the pan heat up at medium flame. But as you put the sandwich to toast, put the flame on low. Toast it properly from both sides. It will take time, but the result would be absolutely delicious with crisp bread slices. 

How to wash mushrooms?

Mushrooms are fungi that grow dirty, moist surfaces. The dirt that sticks to it is not that easy to get rid of. No matter how much you wash it with water, the ground on the delicate areas stays put. Now, I have an idea of how to clean these mushrooms. 

In a bowl, pour water that is fine enough to dip in mushrooms and mix it a bit. Now, add 1 tablespoon of wheat flour. That’s right, wheat flour is what you need to clean these mushrooms. Dissolve it well in the water. 

It's time to throw in mushrooms. Now don’t just soak them in the water. You need to rub them gently with your hands. You will notice how dirt separates from it. After a few gentle rubs, you will see these clean mushrooms floating above the water. 

There you go. Wondering if you have been doing this wrong up until now?

Conclusion

Mushroom and spinach sandwiches are some of those snacks that are rich in all the nutrition you need. This one has loads of iron, good carbs, calcium, and more, all packed in this mouth watering taste. 

Trust me, once you make this, you will make this for your guests as well. You know how we all want easy things to serve. This is your go-to snack to take in front of your family, friends, and guests. Let them wonder how did you make it.