One of my favorite street foods to eat in India is the Bombay Grilled Sandwich. There is just something about this vegetable grilled cheese sandwich with an Indian flavor that is so addicting! I especially love the Veg Grilled Sandwich from Cool Joint, a delicious Sandwich and Shake joint in Bangalore. This sandwich originates from Bombay, but is found all throughout India. As I am from Bangalore and generally spend most of my time in India in this city, that’s where I have eaten this delicious sandwich.

A few days before my wedding in Bangalore a few years ago, I wasn’t allowed to leave the house. There was some superstition about a bride leaving the house until the wedding after the pre-wedding ceremonies had started. I didn’t mind honoring the tradition but all I wanted was a Bombay Grilled Sandwich from Cool Joint.

It’s one of my absolute favorite foods and I was craving it badly! Fortunately, my family brought me one that day! Unfortunately, Jayanagar is a bit too far form Chicago. 😞 So, I had to create my own version of this sandwich at home! There are so many ways to make this, but this is exactly how I like it. 🙂 I hope you all like it all too!

There are many versions of this classic grilled sandwich. It took me two tries to get this recipe right. But, after some trial/error and research, I came up with this recipe. Every step matters – which veggies are used, the way they are cut, the order in which they are placed, etc.

The results of my efforts was a sandwich that took me straight back to memories of evenings in Bangalore, devouring a Bombay Grilled Sandwich and Chikoo Shake at Cool Joint. Check out my Chikoo Shake recipe here.

Bombay Grilled Sandwich

Recipe by Chaitra KCuisine: Indian, North Indian

Servings

1

sandwich

Prep Time

10

minutes

Cooking Time

5

minutes

Calories per Serving

450

kcal

A grilled sandwich involving three slices of bread, veggies, cheese, and Indian spices

Ingredients

• 3 slices bread (white or wheat, your choice)

• 1-2 tbsp melted butter

• 1-2 tbsp Mint Chutney

• 1/4 cup shredded/ grated cheese (Amul or Mozzarella works best)

• 1-2 tbsp Chaat Masala

• 2-4 thin slices of boiled potato

• 2-4 thin slices of red onion

• 2-4 thin circles of tomatoes

• 2-4 thin slices of green peppers

• 1-2 tbsp oil

Instructions

• Spread butter generously on one side of a slice of bread. Spread a bit of mint chutney on top of the butter. Do this for three slices of bread.
• On one slice of bread, layer a few thin slices of boiled potato on top of the mint chutney. Sprinkle some chaat masala on top. (Note: To cook the potatoes, first boil a pot of water. Once the water starts to bubble, add peeled potatoes and a pinch of salt. Let cook for a few minutes. The potatoes should be cooked but not too mushy. Take off flame, let cool. Once the potatoes have thoroughly cooked, slice into very thin slices.)
• Next, add a layer of thinly sliced red onions. Sprinkle some chaat masala on top. (Note: Some places cut the onions into rings and other cut them into thin slices. I find that thin slices grill better.)
• Sprinkle a bit of shredded/ grated cheese on the onion slices. (Note: Not everyone adds cheese to the middle layer, but I think this helps this first half of the sandwich stick the middle bread piece, which is next.)
• Then, add another piece of bread with butter and mint chutney smeared on it. Make sure the butter/mint chutney is facing up. (Note: I thought about spreading butter/chutney on the other side too, but it could make the bread too soggy.)
• Layer a few thinly sliced tomato circles on top of the mint chutney. Sprinkle some chaat masala on top.
• Then, add a layer of thinly sliced green peppers. Sprinkle some chaat masala on top. (Note: Some places cut the green peppers into rings and other cut them into thin slices. I find that thin slices grill better.)
• Finally, sprinkle more shredded cheese and add the last piece of bread. Make sure the butter/mint chutney is facing down.
  
• Brush a bit of oil on both outer sides of the sandwich. Grill in a panini press or on the stove. Serve hot with ketchup! Enjoy 🙂

Notes

• I prefer to cook potatoes in boiling water instead of in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe because it is easier to control the temperature. You don’t want the potatoes to become too mushy. But you do want them to be cooked well. If they are not, the potatoes will taste hard in your sandwich.
• Make sure you slice all of the veggies as thin as possible! This will make it easier to layer and grill the sandwich.
• Some add cucumbers and/or beets to Bombay Grilled Sandwiches. I don’t prefer these veggies in this recipe. But, you can modify as you wish.
• You could use sliced cheese. However, in India, they usually use grated cheese for sandwiches. I also feel that it is easier to grill multiple layers of bread, veggies, and cheese with grated cheese instead of sliced cheese.
• I like to put the chaat masala in a small salt shaker. This makes it easy to shake a bit of masala on top of each layer! This is especially convenient if you are making multiple sandwiches for a crowd.
• There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I came up with.  I hope you love it!
• Vegan Option: Use Vegan cheese and Vegan butter. 🙂

Did you make this recipe?

I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.