Share
The best days of our lives were when we used to pack our bags, take our books, and carry our tiny little lunch boxes to school. We were carefree and carried no load other than the weight of our school bags. The biggest worry that we had was what our mother was going to pack for lunch the next day, other than, of course, surprise tests that would drain the colour out of our faces. So, when we think of our school days, these memories take up a huge part of that nostalgic trip.
Now, we are all adults. The activity of carrying lunches has become a mundane one that we just have to do. There is no excitement like we used to feel during our recess break back in those days. We already know what is in our lunch boxes because it is most likely that we have packed it ourselves, rather begrudgingly. But this Teacher’s Day, let us revisit those memories from school and remember the nostalgic dishes our parents used to pack for us.
Biscuit Sandwich
I'm pretty sure we all had those days when our parents would be really busy early in the morning, and we would all be running late together as a family. Those mornings showed us the true meaning of necessity is the mother of invention when our mothers would make biscuit sandwiches for us. This dish just has three ingredients: biscuits, butter, and jam. Lather one side of the biscuit with butter, and then put a generous layer of jam on top. Cover it up with another biscuit, and your sandwich is ready!
Bread Pizza
Recipe - Aarti Madan
Another quick-fix hack that our mothers would use was to make bread pizza. This dish would make us feel like we were having a fancy lunch while it actually took 5 minutes to make in the microwave. The bread, the gooey cheese, and the crunchy veggies—bread pizza is a constant reminder of the joys of our childhood. Dipping these pizzas into ketchup and sharing them with our friends is a distant but happy memory.
Tiffin Wali Maggi
We all have vivid memories of eating cold maggi during our recess break and having the time of our lives while doing it. The maggi would often take the shape of our tiffin box, and somehow, that made it all the more exciting. Some of our mothers would toss it in fried onions and spice it up with tomato ketchup, or simply add extra maggi masala as well!
Butter-Sugar Toast
Another tiffin staple used to be crunchy toast (which would turn soggy by the time we opened the lunchbox) with butter and sugar. This sweet and salty combination would make lunch time super interesting, and this was one dish everyone wanted a bite of! After the toast was over, eating those butter-sugar granules would be too much fun.
Cheeni Paratha
Recipe - Cooking Recipe with Meena
These sugar-laden parathas were a huge part of our childhood while growing up. Making thick parathas with sugar stuffing that would melt, caramelise, and form a sugar consistency when we tore the parathas was an experience in itself. Even thinking about it makes us salivate, even after so many years!
Roti Rolls
On many days, what we had for dinner decided what we would pack for tiffin. The leftover sabji and roti would be used by our mothers to make delicious rolls, and we would happily eat them. From paneer to aloo to gobhi, we have all had paratha and roti rolls for years and enjoyed it fully.
Masala Idli
Can you not pack sambar without it spilling out? No problem! Our mothers would add flavours to the idli itself. These tawa-fried idlis with masala, curry leaves, and spices were the perfect bite-sized tiffin-time delights that everyone loved to enjoy.
Bread Poha
Another quickly made and very popular tiffin dish used to be the bread poha. Just the bread, cut in uneven pieces and cooked like poha, made it feel like we were having a fusion dish. The slightly tangy, saucy, and masaledar flavours of the dish were a hit with everyone.
Paratha Achaar
There is nothing more comforting than paratha-achaar, but as kids, it was a tiffin dish that was not everyone’s favourite. Plain or stuffed parathe in a steel tiffin with a portion of aam or mirchi achaar in a tiny aluminium foil wrap or a ketchup sachet—does this not remind you of a very distinct school memory?
Eggy Bread
While the eggy bread would get soft, soggy, and cold in the tiffin box, it still used to be one of our favourite things to eat. The spongy consistency of the toast and the sweet ketchup that used to go with it—our hot, freshly made French toasts are nothing compared to the divine taste of eggy bread.
So, if you are missing the joy, excitement, and bliss of your school time, just make yourself a biscuit sandwich or pack a bread pizza. It will turn out to be the best decision of your adult life. After all, there is no better memory than those attached to food and taste!
