I really like eating sandwiches. They’re some of my favourite foods when they’re made well. Board exam time was great for me because my mum used to concoct all these amazing ways to make sandwiches the best things in the world. Whether it was grilled cheese, veg salami (which is just grated carrot), cutlets, Bombay grilled, I basically had the world in my kitchen, with everything I wanted, in a sandwich.
In fact, the history of the sandwich in my family goes way back. Three generations, to be precise, each of whom appears to enjoy their own variant of the wonderful snack. I don’t like jams and sauces as much, but I know both my grandparents would happily chomp on either of those sandwiches. Especially mixed fruit jam – it really gives them a kick. My dad has a soft spot for the Bombay grilled – when it’s made without cheese at Haji Ali. Or made well, generally. And my mum, she has a passion for all sandwiches, but has found her enjoyment of these sandwiches limited in recent years. My favourite weird concoction of hers is when she introduced me to the banana sandwich – something I didn’t quite think I would like, but I ended up loving.
So this morning we ate cheese sandwiches, and I ate mine with olives. We put butter on the grill and made the sandwiches like we would make grilled cheeses – and we toasted the bread.
And immediately, as I took that first bite, I was reminded of how, post swimming, my mum would sometimes have pizza or sandwiches ready for me to eat at home.
We had this triangular griller – I think – it basically made these perfect pockets of filled triangular sandwiches. And my mum used to whip up the best corn cheese sandwiches in those. All the leftover curry found themselves in sandwiches too. Warm and wholesome.
And now, all I want, is more sandwich.
Tejas Rao 