Mumbai is hugely popular for its Mouthwatering street food ranging from many different kinds of chaats, fried foods like Samosa, and Sandwiches to milkshakes & Kulfis. Among them you are most likely to find these veg grilled sandwiches being sold by the hawkers everywhere, with an option to customize them. In this post I share with you how to make the same kind of delicious grilled sandwiches at home.
Grilled Sandwich
While cheese is the main ingredient in the American & British versions, this Veg Grilled Sandwich can be made without that. A mix of boiled and raw vegetables form the base of the filling. A spiced chutney also known as Sandwich chutney made with coriander leaves/ cilantro is used as a spread to enhance the flavor profile. Special spice powders known as chaat masala or sandwich masala are used for that special zing. What more? You need a generous amount of butter to create a crispy classic. Optionally you may use mozzarella cheese for that classic cheesy pull. To make these veg grilled sandwich, soft white bread slices are buttered generously so the bread doesn’t get soggy with the chutney that is spread over that. Boiled potatoes, beets, fresh onions, cucumbers, tomatoes & bell peppers are layered with a sprinkle of ground spices. Optionally plenty of grated cheese goes over that. Then it is covered with another chutney & butter smeared slice. This goes into the electric grill /sandwich grill or the stovetop grill pan. In under 5 minutes the crispy, delicious and ultimate grilled sandwich is ready. For more Sandwich recipes, you can checkVeg sandwichBombay sandwichMushroom sandwich
How to Make Grilled Sandwich (Stepwise Photos)
Prepare Chutney
You can skip this section if you have premade chutney or even coriander & mint Green Chutney. To a small chutney grinder add 1½ to 2 cups coriander leaves, 1 to 2 green chilies & ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 1 large garlic clove, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder & 1 tablespoon roasted gram (or roasted peanuts or ½ white bread slice). Pour 2 tablespoons water and little lemon juice to taste. Grind to a smooth and thick chutney. Make sure you don’t add more water. Use minimally as we want a thick chutney. Taste test and add more salt or chilies if needed. After using the chutney to make the sandwiches, you may store the leftovers in air tight container in the refrigerator and use up within 3 to 4 days.
Prepare Veggies & Sandwich
Boil a potato either in a pot with plenty of water or pressure cooker. To cook in a cooker pour 1.5 cups water to the cooker and place a rack. Place the potato over that and pressure cook for 2 whistles on a medium flame or in the instant pot for 10 mins on high pressure. Your potato should be just cooked, fork tender and not mushy. Slice the peeled potatoes to 1/4 inch thickness. Slice peeled cucumber, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers thin. You will need soft butter to spread. Optionally you may keep the cheese slices out of the fridge if using. Spread a generous amount of butter over the bread slices. This prevents your bread from turning soggy. Spread the green chutney as required. Place a layer of potatoes and sprinkle some sandwich masala or chaat masala + cumin powder + black salt. Place onions and repeat sprinkling the spice powder. If using boiled beets, layer them here. Layer tomatoes and bell peppers and sprinkle spice powder. Layer cucumber and then sprinkle the spice powder. Optionally place the cheese slice or grated cheese. Followed by some spice powder. Cover the sandwich with the Buttered and chutney smeared bread, so the chutney side is in. Then spread some butter on the sandwich.
Grill The Sandwich
Heat your toaster or grill or grill pan. Add some butter. Carefully place your sandwich over that. Cover and Grill until crisp and golden. If using a griddle or a grill pan, press down the sandwich with a spatula so the sandwich binds well. Remove from the toaster with a wooden spatula and place on a board. Slice the sandwich and serve with more chutney.
Pro Tips
Vegetables: You have to boil whole potatoes and beetroot for this recipe. I never stock beets as we cook them the same day we buy. So most of the times I run out of beets when I make these grilled sandwiches, & they still taste delicious. So you can easily skip beets if you don’t have. If using both, make sure you boil them separately if you do not want your potatoes to be discolored. Chutney: Coriander chutney is used to make Bombay sandwiches. You can also use this Green chutney if you like. I have made my sandwiches for years with green chutney (coriander & mint chutney) but the Mumbai street sandwiches are made with coriander chutney without mint which I have shared in this post. However if you are looking for an easy substitute to this chutney, use pesto or any other spread you like. It won’t be a Mumbai sandwich but it will work. Bread: These are usually made with White bread. But it is up to you, use anything you like or have in hand. I do not use white bread so went ahead using the multigrain sourdough bread. I feel breads with a dense crumb & not with large holes are better suitable for this. Grilling: There are various methods to grill sandwiches. You may grill them however you like. If you don’t have an electric grill or a sandwich maker, simply toast them on a griddle. To make a lot of sandwiches, you can simply grill them in the oven. Related Recipes
Recipe Card
