Liven up lunchtime with quality Indian herbs and spices

Hands up who hates making a packed lunch each day? Whether they have a horrible association with your mum giving you cheese sandwiches or you’re sick of the same old boring salad at work each day, sometimes a homemade lunch can be a real drag. However, adding a few carefully chosen Indian herbs and spices to your lunchbox will help you love lunchtime again!

Pack a flavourful punch into lunch

Even the simplest meals can become something special by creating a marinade or rub using Indian herbs and spices. Mix a drizzle of olive oil with some turmeric, garam masala and coriander, pour it on a chicken breast and refrigerate for a couple of hours, then cook and slice. It’s delicious in a sandwich with lettuce, or, if you’re watching the calories, added to a salad. This one is the perfect tasty lunch for both kids and adults, but you can take many very basic lunches to the next level of taste simply by adding a bit more flavour.

Keep it interesting

We usually get bored of our lunches not because we don’t like what we’re eating, but because we eat the same thing all the time. If you always take a cheese sandwich and a banana then lunchtime will be boring because you’ll know exactly what to expect when you open your lunchbox, but if the food inside looks exciting and appetising, lunch will be a real treat! For something a bit unusual, why not try combing Indian herbs and spices to make tandoori chicken skewers? Mix natural yoghurt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and fenugreek and pour into a plastic sandwich bag with some chicken. Refrigerate overnight and cook the next day, then serve with tortilla wraps and salad. So simple and so delicious!

Snack happy

There is plenty of scientific research that suggests eating several smaller meals every day is better than eating three big ones, and it can be good for weight loss as frequent eating keeps your metabolism running, regulates your blood sugar and staves off hunger cravings. However, for snacking to work, they have to be healthy ones that aren’t full of sugar. If you usually find yourself reaching for a bar of chocolate, why not try something savoury but full of flavour such as samosas or onion bhajis? The combinations of Indian herbs and spices in these will give keep your taste buds entertained without you having to resort to a sugar high. Though these might sound tricky to make, they’re actually very simple and fun too – the kids will love to help. Both samosas and onion bhajis need a good selection of Indian herbs and spices, including old favourites such as coriander, cumin, chilli, turmeric, garam masala and ginger, as well as slightly more unusual ones such as mango powder, or amchoor powder.

Why not try our baked salmon fillet recipe to really liven up your lunchbox?

Prep time: 5 mins 

Cook time: 15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients (click the ingredients below to find them in our shop)

2 x salmon fillets (skin on)

2 tbsp coconut yoghurt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 200 C and line a small baking tray with a piece of foil (or baking paper). Rub the teaspoon of olive oil or coconut oil over the foil to help stop the salmon sticking.

2) In a small bowl or a mug, combine the coconut yoghurt, all of the spices and the salt and pepper until you have a smooth paste.

3) Place the salmon fillets skin side down on the baking tray. Cover the top and sides of the salmon evenly with the spiced yoghurt mixture.

4) Bake the salmon fillets for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness, until just tenderly cooked. Serve immediately, or save for later and serve cold.

Happy cooking!