You'll fall in love with this Bombay sandwich - bread slathered with butter and green chutney, layered with veggies and then grilled to perfection. Learn how to make this sought-after Indian street food at home.
Add all the ingredients in a blender and grind until smooth. (Note: use water as needed to get the consistency you desire. I used approximately a little less than 1/4 cup)
Assembling the sandwich
Start with two slices of bread. Apply butter followed by chutney on one side of each slice.
Place the potato slices over the chutney, followed by cucumber, onion, beetroot and tomato slices. Sprinkle chaat masala and cover it with the other bread slice with the chutney side facing down.
Add a teaspoon of butter on a grill pan placed over medium heat. Carefully place the sandwich on the hot grill pan. Let it cook till grill marks appear at the bottom (about 2 minutes). Flip it carefully using a spatula on the other side and cook it for another 2 minutes. [Check out the notes section for alternate methods to grill].
Once the cooking process is complete, cut the sandwich diagonally or into 4 equal pieces.
Sprinkle cheese or sev (if using). Serve immediately with a side of chutney and/or ketchup.
Repeat the process to make remaining 3 sandwiches.
Notes
Panini grill - Follow the directions instructed in the manual. It will typically involve preheating the grill, placing the sandwich on the grill, closing the lid and letting it cook for about 5 minutes. The advantage is that you don’t need to flip. It will cook both sides at the same time.
Stovetop handheld sandwich maker
Make sure you don’t overstuff your sandwich and always use sandwich bread slices.
Grease both plates of the sandwich maker, place the sandwich and close the lid.
Place it on an open flame and cook both sides for 3-4 minutes each.
Remove it from the flame, open the sandwich maker and carefully transfer the sandwich in a plate.
Tips for making the best Mumbai sandwich
Make sure the green chutney is not runny - otherwise it will make your bread soggy. The chutney should be like a spread.
Always start with butter first and THEN green chutney. Prevents your bread from becoming soggy.
Add chaat masala for that extra kick. If you don't have one, here are the alternatives - salt and pepper, a mixture of black salt and roasted cumin powder in 1:1 ratio. Use these sparingly - you don't want to overpower the sandwich.
If you are making these sandwiches for a picnic, the alternative to grilling would be to toast the bread slices till they are golden brown and then either assemble it just before serving it or making it beforehand. Or you could just not grill it and serve it like English tea sandwiches.