Bombay Sandwich Toasts are all the craze on the streets of Bombay - and for good reason! Crispy bread that’s toasted to perfection stuffed with garlicky aloo masala, raw onions, tomato and capsicum with a spicy green chutney base… do I need to say more? With this recipe, you can easily make Bombay’s famous sandwich at home.
If you have been to Bombay, you wouldn’t have missed seeing the stalls lined up on the streets making those crispy sandwich toasts. When I was in the city, I would pretty much eat these Bombay Sandwich Toasts every single day. And let me tell you – I’ve never had a bad one! And I would not get bored of them either. They’re just that good!
So of course, I had to recreate them at home to enjoy whenever I want, not just when I’m visiting Bombay. This Bombay Sandwich Toast is the perfect snack - and it’ll put everyone in your house in the best mood. The best part? It comes together with ingredients you already have at home!
Bombay Sandwich Toast is grilled and then topped with butter, green chutney, ketchup, and sev - yes, this isn’t your ordinary sandwich. It might sound like a strange combination but the toppings are essential to making this sandwich so awesome
If you’ve got extra boiled potatoes at home - which I always seem to have - it comes together really fast.
I use a sandwich press to grill the sandwich but it can also be grilled on the stove - just make sure to press it down well.
- This recipe is easy and just uses pantry ingredients
- You can make the chutney in advance to minimize the prep time
- It is perfect to serve both kids and adults. The heat would have to be reduced for kids though
- Doubles up as breakfast and dinner - I mean who doesn't love sandwiches for dinner right?
Ingredients For Toasted Bombay Sandwich
Here's everything you need for these sandwiches
- Bread: Any white bread that you probably have at home works great for this recipe. But the original bombay sandwiches are only made with Wibbs Bread. If you walk the streets of bombay, you'll see these blue and red packets stacked at every sandwich cart
- Potatoes: Boiled and peeled potatoes that you can prep in advance
- Sandwich Masala: I use the Keya sandwich masala which I just sprinkle on top of the aloo masala and veggies and it really adds an additional layer of flavour which I love. Adding sandwich masala is key for any Mumbai-style sandwich, to bring out that street taste! You can use chaat masala as an alternative.
- Sliced Veggies: This is another layer added to the sandwich on top of the aloo masala - onions, capsicum, tomatoes and sometimes boiled beetroot slices too
- Toppings: What makes a Bombay Sandwich Toast special are its toppings - they are what really ties this dish together and makes it so unique. Spread a generous layer of butter, ketchup and green chutney on top of the grilled sandwich to bring out those tangy, spicy notes that are authentic to Mumbai street food. Top it all off with some crunchy sev - might sound odd but works so well
- Green Chutney: This is not your regular green chutney. This is one ingredient that I recommend you prepare from scratch for an authentic Bombay Toast Sandwich experience. I have the recipe below in the recipe card. Here's everything you need for the chutney:
This green chutney recipe is special - spicy, garlicky and the perfect spreadable consistency for these sandwiches - without it, these sandwiches are nothing!
How to make Toasted Sandwiches
These sandwiches will transport you to the streets of Bombay!
- Start by prepping the chutney. Add coriander, mint, garlic, green chillies, roasted chana dal, salt, lime juice and water as required to the chutney jar of a mixer grinder
- Grind till the chutney is smooth. Store this in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
3. Make the aloo masala by heating some oil in a pan and sauteing mustard seeds, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste for 1-2 minutes. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt and cook for another minute on a low flame
4. Add boiled and peeled potatoes and green peas and smash these well in the pan. Top with chopped coriander. Set aside till you are ready to build the sandwich
5. To start building the sandwich, spread chutney on both the sandwich slices
6. On one slice with the chutney side facing up, place the aloo masala and spread it out
7. Top it with sliced onions, capsicum, cucumber and tomato slices if using
8. Sprinkle with sandwich masala
9. Place the other slice on top and spread liberally with butter. Having butter at room temperature comes handy while making these
10. Place the sandwiches on a hot sandwich grill buttered side down. Spread the top with butter too. Grill till the sandwiches are a deep golden brown and crisp
11. Once the sandwiches are uniformly golden brown, take them out on a plate
12. My favourite toppings are butter, chutney, ketchup and sev. Trust me, the toppings take these to a different level!
Frequently Asked Questions
What bread should I use? You can use white bread or sandwich bread which is slightly thicker and larger in size.
Can I make this sandwich without a sandwich press? Yes, you can grill it on the stove. However, I recommend using a sandwich press as it helps hold the masala better, making it neat to serve and eat.
Can this be made without onion and garlic? Yes, you can omit the garlic in the masala and can add extra chopped capsicum for a nice crunch instead of using raw onions.
Can I add cheese? You can top the sandwich however you’d like! Grated cheese would work well both as a filling and a topping.
Can I make this without butter? Butter helps the bread to brown and crisp up well while grilling and this helps to hold the sandwich together - which is important for this recipe as we have a thick filling. If you would like to reduce the butter, you can skip adding it as a topping afterwards.
Sometimes you just need a spicy, tangy, buttery, aloo-filled sandwich toast in your life. This recipe has got you covered! This is one of those dishes that I make time and time again because it is just THAT good. It has always been a crowd pleaser - so for your next chai get-together, you know what to add to the menu.
If you want to make more Mumbai street-style recipes at home you can check out my Misal Pav recipe and my Pav Bhaji recipe.
If you’re planning an afternoon get-together, you can serve this with one of my chai recipes - this combination can’t go wrong!
Watch the Recipe Video
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Toasted Bombay Sandwich
Ingredients
Chutney
- 2 Cups Coriander loosely packed
- 15-20 Mint Leaves
- 4-5 Green Chillies
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 5-6 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Roasted Chana Dal
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons Water
Aloo Masala
- 1 Teaspoon Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 Tablespoons chopped Curry Leaves
- 2-3 Green Chillies finely chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ¾ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Potato boiled and mashed
- 2 Teaspoons Chopped Coriander Leaves
- ¼ Cup Green Peas fresh or frozen
Sandwich
- 2-3 Tablespoons Butter salted and softened
- 12 slices White Bread or Sandwich bread
- 1 Cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 Tomatoes thinly sliced
- 1-2 Onions thinly sliced
- 1 Green Capsicum thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon Sandwich Masala optional
- Sev optional
- Ketchup optional
Instructions
Chutney
- Add all the ingredients, except lemon juice and water, for the chutney into the small jar or a chutney jar of a mixer grinder. Add 1 tablespoon of water and blend into a light coarse chutney. Only if necessary, add the remaining water.
- Stir in the lemon juice and mix. Set aside.
Aloo Masala
- Heat oil in a kadai over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves, and allow to splutter.
- Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Saute for 1 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add salt and mashed potatoes and mix to combine. Mash lightly, add a tablespoon of water if necessary.
- Add green peas and mix to combine. Allow to cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped coriander leaves and combine. Set aside.
Sandwich
- Using a spoon or butter knife, apply a spoonful of chutney on two slices of bread. On one slice, assemble the sandwich with a spoon of aloo masala, sliced tomato, cucumber, onion and capsicum. Sprinkle some sandwich masala and cover with the other slices.
- Spread some butter on the outside part of both slices. Grill over a pan or use a sandwich maker and toast until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes.
- Cut and smear with some more butter, chutney, ketchup and top it off with some sev. Serve hot!
Video
Notes
- Bread: You can use white bread or sandwich bread which is slightly thicker and larger in size.
- Can I make this sandwich without a sandwich press? Yes, you can grill it on the stove. However, I recommend using a sandwich press as it helps hold the masala better, making it neat to serve and eat.
- Can this be made without onion and garlic? Yes, you can omit the garlic in the masala and can add extra chopped capsicum for a nice crunch instead of using raw onions.
- Can I add cheese? You can top the sandwich however you’d like! Grated cheese would work well both as a filling and a topping.
- Can I make this without butter? Butter helps the bread to brown and crisp up well while grilling and this helps to hold the sandwich together - which is important for this recipe as we have a thick filling. If you would like to reduce the butter, you can skip adding it as a topping afterwards.
Paul says
Just getting together the ingredients for this and wondered if Chatpata is the same as Sandwich Masala?
Thanks.
Richa says
Do you mean chaat masala? If yes, thats a good substitute