We all know how important breakfast is. It is the most important meal of the day and one which you should not miss however how many of us actually never leave our home without eating a hearty breakfast? My hubby never used to eat anything in the morning. He would get ready and head out to work and then straight away eat his lunch around noon. However things changed after we got married, initially it was tough for me to change this habit as his body was not used to eating food in the morning. He would feel like throwing up and what not but now after 3 years, he never leaves home without having breakfast! Some task that was but I am glad I was able to change him. I have always been a breakfast person and try to come up with new breakfast recipes all the time. One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast [other than parathas] are sandwiches. They are so versatile, filling and are ready in few minutes.
Today I am sharing one of my favorite sandwich recipes from India, the famous Bombay Sandwich.
This sandwich is very popular in Mumbai [earlier known as Bombay], one of the biggest cities in the country. Mumbai is the called the city of dreams and it’s where Bollywood is! Anyway back to the sandwich! The specialty of Bombay sandwich is the generous use of sandwich masala in every layer of the sandwich. This masala [masala=spice] is a mix of a number of spices – cumin, black pepper, fennel seeds, clove, cinnamon, star anise, mango powder, black salt and chili. You can make this at home by roasting and then grinding all the spices together but I got it from the Indian store. Either way, Bombay sandwich is incomplete without the sandwich masala.
The sandwich has 2 layers consisting of 3 breads and sandwiched between the layers is tomato, onion, green bell pepper and potato. The popular Bombay sandwich doesn’t actually has cheese nor is it grilled but since I added both, we call this Bombay Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Other than the masala, the other important ingredient of this sandwich is the mint-cilantro chutney. You can easily find it any Indian grocery store or make at home. I used a homemade version which is super simple to make and I shall definitely post the recipe for it soon.
Method
Gather all your ingredients – bread slices, coriander-mint chutney, cheese slices, butter, sandwich masala and rounds of onion, tomato, green bell pepper and boiled potato.
Take 3 bread slices [sorry only 2 in pictures, but you have to take 3] and apply butter generously all over.
Now apply mint-coriander chutney on the 3 bread slices.
Put 2 rounds of onion and 2 rounds of green pepper [capsicum] on the top of 1 bread.
Sprinkle generous amount of sandwich masala on top of it.
Cover this layer with the 2nd bread, with the chutney side facing up. Place 2 slices of tomato and 2-3 potato rounds on top of the 2nd bread.
Sprinkle generous amount of sandwich masala on top the potato slices.
Place a cheese slice on top of it now. I used Amul cheese because we are used to the flavor from India. You can use any slice of your choice.
Place the 3rd bread on top of this now with the chutney side facing down. Your sandwich is now ready to be grilled. Press lightly to seal the sandwich nicely.
I made 2 sandwiches, using 6 bread slices. You can see I trimmed off the edges in one of the sandwiches, you can do whatever you prefer.
Heat your grill pan on medium heat. Apply butter generously on top of both the sandwiches and once the pan is hot, place the sandwiches on the pan with the buttered side facing down. As the sandwich grills from one side, apply butter on the side facing up.
Once the 1st side is nice and brown and you see grill lines, flip the sandwich to grill the other side. Press down the sandwiches once in while with a spatula.
Delicious Bombay veggie grilled cheese sandwich is now ready to eat. You can serve it with tomato ketchup, I honestly ate it as such. I mean it’s so flavorful, you don’t really need anything else.
* To make these sandwiches healthier, you can use brown whole wheat bread. However I personally feel that this sandwiches tastes best when made with white bread. In fact I only eat whole wheat bread but got the white bread especially for making these sandwiches.
* Try to use thin slices of bread for this recipe. The thick ones don’t work the same way.
* You can add grated cheese in place of the cheese slice.
Bombay Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 6 bread slices
- 3 teaspoon butter some more to toast
- sandwich masala to sprinkle, as required [homemade or store bought]
- 1 small onion cut into thin circles
- 1 potato boiled and cut into rounds
- 1 to mato cut into circles
- ½ big green pepper cut into rounds
- 3-4 tablespoons coriander-mint chutney [homemade or store bought]
- 2 cheese slices [i used amul cheese slice]
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients - bread slices, coriander-mint chutney, cheese slices, butter, sandwich masala and rounds of onion, tomato, green bell pepper and boiled potato.
- Take 3 bread slices and apply butter generously all over.
- Now apply mint-coriander chutney on the 3 bread slices.
- Put 2 rounds of onion and 2 rounds of green pepper [capsicum] on the top of 1 bread.
- Sprinkle generous amount of sandwich masala on top of it.
- Cover this layer with the 2nd bread, with the chutney side facing up.
- Place 2 slices of tomato and 2-3 potato rounds on top of the 2nd bread.
- Sprinkle generous amount of sandwich masala on top the potato slices.
- Place a cheese slice on top of it now. I used Amul cheese because we are used to the flavor from India. You can use any slice of your choice.
- Place the 3rd bread on top of this now with the chutney side facing down.
- Your sandwich is now ready to be grilled. Press lightly to seal the sandwich nicely.
- Make 2 sandwiches using 6 bread slices.
- Heat your grill pan on medium heat. Apply butter generously on top of both the sandwiches and once the pan is hot, place the sandwiches on the pan with the buttered side facing down.
- As the sandwich grills from one side, now apply butter on the side facing up.
- Once the 1st side is nice and brown and you see grill lines, flip the sandwich to grill the other side. Press down the sandwiches once in while with a spatula.
- Serve hot with tomato ketchup.
Nutrition
Bombay Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Potato in a sandwich, I love this!!! and I’m still hoping my husband changes .. he never eats breakfast in the morning and sometimes he skips lunch too!! it’s so bad! I don’t know how he has energy at work! I eat like every hour! nibble a little here and there. .
Aww that’s not good..I hope he changes…I eat every hour too..lol..
You constantly blow me away with your creative recipes! I love the addition of the spices to these sandwiches. Potatoes and peppers…yum!
Aww thanks Connie, you are very kind my friend! xoxo
Yum!! The combination of these spices with the tender vegetables between two slices of grilled bread is my kinda meal!! Breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Mine too Annie! Thank you 🙂
There’s no such thing as having too many Bombay Sandwiches. This grilled cheese sandwich looks and sounds absolutely delectable, and I’m dying to eat this right now!!!
I agree Anu, thanks for dropping by!
I love this twist on a grilled cheese sandwich. There is so much you can do with them, which is exactly what you have showed with this recipe!
Thanks Dannii..agree sandwiches are so versatile!
How funny the way our bodies change and get used to certain things! I have always been a breakfast person and wake up at 7am starving! Haha! I’d wake up even earlier for one of these delicious sandwiches! Omgosh – it’s beautiful and sounds delectable!
Isn’t it? Yes earlier hubby would say I can’t eat breakfast ..it make me puke..now after 3 years he says..I’m hungry..what’s for breakfast, haha! Thanks Sarah, it’s one of my favorite sandwiches! 🙂
My mom used to make these so much during my college days, it is absolutely delicious. Thanks for reminding me, it’s been a while, will make it soon.
It indeed is…my husband loves this sandwich and so I do make it once in a while!
This sandwich looks delicious, Manali! It would be perfect for lunch.
Thanks Jen!
I’ll take grilled cheese in any form, anytime! But this method is so inventive!
Me too Mir, love grilled cheese!
Manali, this sandwich can be a perfect breakfast or snack for me any day! looks so good!!
Thanks Savita, I thoroughly enjoyed eating it!