A delicate tea sandwich is the best thing that can happen to you on a summer afternoon. I am sharing two types of teatime sandwich recipes that are worth bookmarking.
What is a Tea Sandwich?
A tea sandwich is a small, snack-size, finger sandwich meant to be eaten at afternoon teatime to stave off hunger until the main meal.
I love teatime sandwiches most because they are never out of fashion. A classic dish that is always part of the English high tea menu. There are two reasons, they are easy to eat and digest and taste best when served cold or room temperature with a warm cup of tea.
Tea Sandwiches fill your appetite but, at the same time, will not fill up your stomach like other loaded, enormous American sandwiches. No dripping sauce or plunging stuffing. All you need to do is unwrap them and take a bite. They are as sophisticated as an English high tea society.
My Favorite Teatime Sandwich
Indians fell in love with double roti (bread) and sandwiches during the British Raj era. Today, we have thousands of sandwich recipes widely popular across the country. But one of my favorites is the English-style tea sandwich.
The fresh and moist white bread slices, stuffed with a creamy coleslaw seasoned with salt and pepper, served cold is my idea of a perfect tea sandwich.
I have grown up eating them from the local bakeries in my hometown. During the 90s, these tea sandwiches were a staple snack easily available at railway stations, airports, and popular coffee places.
I am sharing two types of tea sandwich recipes – Dill Cucumber Sandwich and the forever classic Coleslaw Sandwich.
Ingredients Dill Cucumber Sandwich
Cream Cheese: You can substitute cream cheese with hung curd or goat cheese.
Herbs: I use a combination of fresh dill leaves and flat parsley. You can use finely chopped Italian basil and cilantro or curled parsley.
Honey: It gives a mild sweetness to the filling. Use maple syrup as a substitute.
Italian Herbs: It is a readymade mix of oregano, sage, thyme, chili flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Other Ingredients: Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Dijon Mustard, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
How To Make
Step 1) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy sandwich spread.
Step 2) Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling on each bread slice ( image 1 ).
Step 3) Cover the cream cheese layer with cucumber slices ( image 2 ).
Step 4) Once again, spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling over the cucumber slices. Cover the sandwich with another bread slice ( images 3 & 4) .
Step 5) Cut the dill cucumber sandwich into two halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Ingredients Coleslaw Sandwich
Mayonnaise: You can use plain, garlic, or vegan mayonnaise to make this tea sandwich.
Cream Cheese: It gives a creamy mouthfeel to the sandwich filling. Substitute It with hung curd, heavy whipping cream, or Greek yogurt.
Vegetables: Carrot, Onion, Cabbage
Tomato Sauce: It gives a deliciously sweet flavor to the sandwich filling.
Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Italian Herbs
How To Make
Step 1) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy coleslaw sandwich spread ( image 1 ).
Step 2) Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread two tablespoons of coleslaw filling on each bread slice ( image 2 ).
Step 3 ) Cover the sandwich with another bread slice ( images 3 & 4) .
Step 4) Cut the coleslaw sandwich into two halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Serving Suggestion
Tea Sandwiches are a perfect lunch idea for the summers.
One, they do not require grilling; second, they taste best when served cold or at room temperature. They are perfect for summer picnics, after-school snacks, teatime, and road trips.
These sandwiches are mess-free to eat while traveling and can be prepared in advance. No dripping sauce or plunging stuffing. All you need to do is unwrap them and take a bite.
You can pull together a fancy high tea with a pitcher of chilled iced tea and these tea sandwiches.
Storage Suggestion
Line a wide container with parchment paper. Arrange the tea sandwiches neatly in a row without stacking. Cover them with another piece of parchment paper. Seal the container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.
TIP: To keep the tea sandwiches moist and soft for a few hours, wrap them in a clean, moist muslin cloth. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
You can pack each piece of sandwich in parchment paper as well. It makes carrying sandwiches or packing them for the lunchbox easy.
More Sandwich Recipes
Rajma Tikki Sandwich
Spinach Corn Sandwich
Cheese Chutney Sandwich
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 20 slices sandwich bread
Ingredients For Dill Cucumber Tea Sandwich
- ▢ 1 Cup cucumber, thinly sliced
- ▢ 1 Cup cream cheese, softened
- ▢ 2 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- ▢ 2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
- ▢ 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
- ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Ingredients For Coleslaw Tea Sandwich
- ▢ 1 Cup plain mayonnaise
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cream cheese softened
- ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato sauce or ketchup
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- ▢ ¼ Cup onion, finely chopped
- ▢ ⅓ Cup cabbage, finely chopped
- ▢ ¼ Cup carrot, grated
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
Instructions
Dill Cucumber Tea Sandwich
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy sandwich spread.
- Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling on each bread slice using a knife.
- Cover the cream cheese layer with thin cucumber slices
- Once again, spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling over the cucumber slices. Cover the sandwich with another bread slice.
- Cut the dill cucumber sandwich into two equal halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Coleslaw Tea Sandwich
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy coleslaw sandwich spread.
- Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread two tablespoons of coleslaw filling on each bread slice.
- Cover the sandwich with another bread slice.
- Cut the coleslaw sandwich into two halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Add salt cautiously to the sandwich filling as cream cheese, mayonnaise, and tomato sauce already contain some salt. Hence, it is best to taste and add salt accordingly.
- Take the freshest bread possible for making the tea sandwiches. DO NOT use stale and dry bread slices. I use either white, thinly sliced milk bread, potato bread, or sandwich bread.
- You can either remove the crusty edges of the bread or use crustless bread slices to make sandwiches.
- For meal prep, you can either make these sandwiches in advance and store them in the refrigerator. Or prepare the sandwich filling in advance and last minute assemble the sandwich.
- While storing, do not stack the sandwiches. Arrange them neatly in a row. This will not disorient the shape of the sandwich.
Nutrition
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Tea Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 20 slices sandwich bread
Ingredients For Dill Cucumber Tea Sandwich
- 1 Cup cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 Cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Ingredients For Coleslaw Tea Sandwich
- 1 Cup plain mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce or ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ Cup cabbage, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup carrot, grated
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
Instructions
Dill Cucumber Tea Sandwich
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy sandwich spread.
- Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling on each bread slice using a knife.
- Cover the cream cheese layer with thin cucumber slices
- Once again, spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling over the cucumber slices. Cover the sandwich with another bread slice.
- Cut the dill cucumber sandwich into two equal halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Coleslaw Tea Sandwich
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy coleslaw sandwich spread.
- Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread two tablespoons of coleslaw filling on each bread slice.
- Cover the sandwich with another bread slice.
- Cut the coleslaw sandwich into two halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Notes
- Add salt cautiously to the sandwich filling as cream cheese, mayonnaise, and tomato sauce already contain some salt. Hence, it is best to taste and add salt accordingly.
- Take the freshest bread possible for making the tea sandwiches. DO NOT use stale and dry bread slices. I use either white, thinly sliced milk bread, potato bread, or sandwich bread.
- You can either remove the crusty edges of the bread or use crustless bread slices to make sandwiches.
- For meal prep, you can either make these sandwiches in advance and store them in the refrigerator. Or prepare the sandwich filling in advance and last minute assemble the sandwich.
- While storing, do not stack the sandwiches. Arrange them neatly in a row. This will not disorient the shape of the sandwich.
Nutrition
Murmura is an Indian snack (namkeen) made with puffed rice. Vegan and gluten-free – do you need more reasons to save this murmura recipe?
What is ‘Murmura’?
In India, the ‘Murmura’ or ‘Muri’ is a commonly used term for puffed rice. It looks very similar to rice, white in colour, bland in taste, and almost the same size as a rice grain but puffed up. They have a lightness and crunch to them.
Hence, making puffed rice a perfect ingredient for various Indian namkeen recipes or other munching snacks like Jhal Muri.
So don’t get confused; the term ‘murmura’ is used for puffed rice and the spicy munching snack aka Indian namkeen.
Across the Indian subcontinent, puffed rice is readily available in supermarkets and grocery stores. You can store them in an airtight container for 1 – 2 months at room temperature.
For this spicy murmura namkeen recipe, the plain puffed rice is tossed with spices, peanuts, and other delicious things and transformed into a munching snack or Indian namkeen.
Ingredients Required
Puffed Rice: Use packaged, plain, unsalted puffed rice for this spicy murmura recipe.
Peanuts: I add plain, unsalted peanuts to increase the protein value of the namkeen. You can substitute them with cashew, almonds, or roasted chana.
Sugar: A tiny bit of powdered sugar gives a subtly sweet taste and helps in balancing the spiciness of the murmura.
Oil: You can use flavourless vegetable oil, refined oil, or coconut oil.
Spices: Chaat Masala, Cumin Powder, Red Chili Powder
Other Ingredients: Curry Leaves, Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Black Mustard Seeds, Salt.
Optional Ingredients: To make murmura more delicious, I add raisins, Boondi, or at times sev (bhujia). Similarly, add coconut chips, soya sticks, roasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted brown chana to your murmura.
How To Make
If you are making a spicy murmura, I would highly recommend arranging all your ingredients within your reach next to the stovetop. Because once you start the frying process, you have to be swift.
Step 1) Heat oil in a wide frying pan or kadhai.
Step 2) Add black mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. Fry till they are golden ( image 1 ).
Step 3) Add raisins, peanuts, and curry leaves. Fry these as well till peanuts are crunchy and slightly start cracking ( image 2 ).
Step 4) Add plain puffed rice, salt, sugar, and spices. Toss them all together. Fry till puffed rice is nicely coated with spices and becomes crunchy ( images 3 & 4 ). Keep stirring; else, it burns fast.
Step 5) Once puffed rice is crisp and crunchy, add your delicious munchies like boondi , sev, roasted chickpeas, etc. And mix one last time. Turn off the heat.
Transfer the murmura to a large tray or baking sheet to cool down.
Storage Suggestion
Never store a piping hot murmura namkeen. Always allow it to cool down at room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight snack container.
Store the mixture in the snack cabinet of your pantry or kitchen.
It is best to consume the spicy murmura namkeen within 15 days as it does not have a long shelf life. After a fortnight, the snack’s taste starts altering and becomes stale/rancid.
More Indian Snack Recipes
Chilli Bajji
Corn Chaat
Aloo Pakora
Peanut Chaat
Maddur Vada
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 4 Cup puffed rice (murmura)
- ▢ ¼ Cup refined oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds (rai)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chana dal (Bengal Gram)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon white urad dal
- ▢ ½ Cup peanuts (moongphalli)
- ▢ 2 tablespoon raisins
- ▢ ¼ Cup curry leaves
- ▢ 1 tablespoon powdered white sugar
- ▢ 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Chaat Masala
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ ¼ Cup boondi balls
- ▢ ¼ Cup sev bhujia (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wide frying pan or kadhai.
- Add black mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. Fry till they are golden. Keep stirring them for even frying.
- Add raisins, peanuts, and curry leaves. Fry these as well till peanuts are crunchy and slightly start cracking.
- Add plain puffed rice, salt, sugar, and spices. Toss them all together. Fry till puffed rice is nicely coated with spices and becomes crunchy. Keep stirring; else, it burns fast.
- Once puffed rice is crisp and crunchy, add your additional delicious munchies like boondi, sev, roasted chickpeas, etc. And mix one last time. Turn off the heat.
- Transfer the murmura to a large tray or baking sheet to cool down.
- Serve spicy murmura immediately or store in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes:
- In South India and many other places, you get Chana and Urad Dal, especially for tempering or frying. Use them for this murmura recipe. If not, use the regular dal but fry them nicely to make them easy to munch.
- Do not store hot murmura in an air-tight container. Allow it to cool down before storing.
- Use plain, unsalted puffed rice and peanuts for this namkeen recipe.
- Powdered sugar and raisins give a deliciously sweet flavor to the namkeen. But if you prefer, you can skip adding these two ingredients.
Nutrition
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