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Veg Sandwich Recipe | Mumbai Sandwich Recipe

By VC Recipe Diary
Latest Update: July 04, 2023

Vegetarian

A simple, yet delightful Veg Sandwich recipe you can make and enjoy, whenever you have those sudden bread or sandwich cravings! Also known as the Mumbai Sandwich, this sweet, salty, spicy, and savory recipe is filled with a flavor that will leave you wanting more! It includes vegetables like beet, potato, tomato, onion, and cucumber paired with regular Indian sandwich spreads like ghee and coriander chutney and is a popular street food in Bombay. Serve it as a filling and tasty breakfast or a snack.

About Veg Sandwich

This Veg Sandwich, also known as the Mumbai Sandwich can be made in various ways. I mean, if you are in Bombay City, you will find a different sandwich recipe at every roadside stall or even eateries that serve it. However, the popular and delicious recipe of Veg Sandwich that I have shared here on my post, was one of my favorites during my college days. Whenever I forgot my lunch box, I and my friends would go to a sandwich stall opposite our college and order our customized veg Mumbai Sandwich. You really don’t have to do much to make this Veg Sandwich, as the procedure is just like making any other sandwich. But remember that the rest of the ingredients along with the bread and vegetables, is what truly adds to the essence of this sandwich. Fresh coriander chutney is one of those elements.

Vegetables You Need

The assorted vegetables that make up the bulk of this Veg Sandwich are cucumber, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and beets. A few variations also add green bell pepper or capsicum.

While you must have not heard of beets being included in a sandwich, this earthy root vegetable takes these sandwiches from being ordinary to top-notch. The beet is boiled and sliced before being layered in the sandwich. It adds a lovely sweetness, tying all of the savory and spicy flavors together. I highly recommend adding beets for a truly authentic Mumbai Sandwich recipe that tastes simply awesome. You do have the option to add or skip any of the vegetables you do not like or prefer. But for a well-rounded Bombay street food experience, I suggest adding all the vegetables listed in the recipe.

Veg Sandwich Essentials

As I said, certain ingredients and elements are a must to make the best Veg Sandwich or Mumbai Sandwich (in addition to the vegetables mentioned above). This guide will help you to do so. Bread: Fluffy, soft white bread is the unanimous choice of bread to make this vegetable sandwich. You can also use your preferred type of bread. To make the sandwiches more nutritious, use whole grain bread, multigrain bread, or soft rye bread.

Coriander Chutney (Cilantro Chutney): The chutney can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. It is also versatile and can be added to wraps, fritters, or street food.

Butter: Dairy butter, typically salted, is used in this Bombay Sandwich. However, you can substitute it with vegan butter. You can also toast or grill these sandwiches if you prefer a crunchier texture. These sandwiches are so delicious that I often make them for brunch or a light lunch or dinner. They also make for a filling, comforting, and tasty evening snack.

Spices and seasonings: Black salt and chaat masala powder add a lot of flavor to this sandwich recipe. You can also add roasted cumin powder and freshly ground black pepper for additional flavor. Chaat masala: The chaat masala powder or sandwich masala is one of the essential ingredients here. Chaat masala is a tangy and flavorful spice mix that is often sprinkled on Indian snacks. You can easily find it online or at any Indian grocery store if you live outside of India.

Cheese: A variation of this sandwich recipe also includes cheese. Use grated processed cheese or cheddar cheese. In India, we use the popular brand of Amul processed cheese.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Vegetable Sandwich

Make Coriander Chutney

1. Wash 1 cup of tightly packed coriander leaves (cilantro) and 1 to 2 green chilies in fresh water a few times. Drain all the water. Then, in a small blender or a chutney grinder jar, add the coriander leaves, ½ teaspoon of chaat masala powder, and chopped green chilies. You can roughly chop the coriander leaves and green chilies if you prefer. Finally, season everything with a few pinches of salt as chaat masala already contains salt. Tip 1: I typically include 2 to 3 jalapenos, as we prefer a piquant sauce. Tip 2: You can also incorporate half a portion of each of the cilantro and peppermint leaves instead of 1 cup of cilantro leaves. The peppermint leaves contribute a pleasant minty scent to the sauce. 2. Puree or crush the sauce ingredients until creamy. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of liquid, if it is not blending. I did not add liquid as there was sufficient moisture from the washed cilantro leaves which aided the sauce in blending smoothly. Avoid making this sauce thin or watery by adding excessive liquid.

2. Combine or pulverize the chutney components until creamy.

Incorporate 1 or 2 teaspoons of water, if it is not blending. I refrained from adding water since there was sufficient dampness from the washed coriander leaves that aided in the smooth blending of the chutney.

Avoid making this chutney excessively fluid or watery by adding an excessive amount of water.

3. Transfer the cilantro chutney to a bowl, taste, and add more salt, if necessary. Cover and set aside, if you are making sandwiches immediately or refrigerate.

Prepare Vegetables and Bread

4. Steam or boil 1 medium beet and 2 small to medium potatoes in a steamer, 2 to 3-liter stovetop pressure cooker, or Instant Pot adding water as required. If you are using a stovetop pressure cooker, then cook them on medium heat for 2 to 3 whistles in water that are almost covering the beet and potatoes. Let the pressure release naturally in the cooker and then only remove the lid. Remove the cooked veggies with the help of a slotted spoon and set aside to cool on a plate. Alternatively, boil or steam the beet and potato in a pan or pot adding water as needed.

5. Thinly slice 1 medium tomato, 1 small or medium onion, and 1 medium cucumber. Tip: Sometimes you may get bitter cucumbers. To remove the bitterness from the cucumber I follow this method. First, slice the top part. Then, make a few cuts on the cucumber on top with a knife. Rub the top sliced part with the rest of the cucumber. You will see a froth-like substance on the cucumber. Doing this eliminates the bitterness in the cucumber. Slice the frothy part of the cucumber. Rinse, peel it, and then thinly slice.

6. Here are all the thinly cut vegetables on a plate. In a clockwise direction, there are sliced tomatoes, cucumber, onions, peeled and cooked potatoes, and beetroot.

7. Use high-quality fresh and tender bread. If you have a loaf, then slice it evenly. I used homemade white bread. Trim the crusts, if desired. I didn't because my homemade bread was tender.

You can also use whole grain bread, whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, ragi bread (finger millet bread), or rye bread.

Make Bombay Veg Sandwich

8. Apply a substantial amount of salted ghee on 8 to 10 slices. If you don't use sufficient ghee, then the chutney will make the bread slices damp.

Note: You can use either salted or unsalted ghee. The ghee should be softened and at room temperature.

The margarine typically utilized by the sellers in Mumbai is Amul-branded salted margarine.

9. Apply a thin coating of the prepared coriander chutney now.

10. Arrange 2 to 3 cooked beetroot slices on 4 to 5 slices of bread.

11. Sprinkle a pinch or two of black salt or regular salt, toasted cumin powder, and chaat masala or sandwich masala on the slices.

12. Arrange 2 to 3 tomato slices on the bread.

13. Next, arrange 3 to 4 cucumber rounds on top of the tomato slices. Sprinkle a small amount of black salt or regular salt, toasted cumin powder, and chaat masala on the cucumber slices once more.

14. Add 2 to 3 thinly sliced onion rings.

15. Once again, sprinkle a small amount of black salt or regular salt, toasted cumin powder, and chaat masala.

16. Now, add a layer of 2 to 3 cooked potato slices.

17. Sprinkle a pinch or two of black salt or regular salt, toasted cumin powder, and chaat masala once more.

18. Cover the bread slices with the butter and chutney.

19. Slice the sandwich into 4 pieces of rectangles or triangles. If you have larger slices of bread, then slice the sandwich into 6 pieces.

20. Serve Veg Sandwich immediately with additional chutney and tomato ketchup. You can also sprinkle fine sev (thin fried gram flour vermicelli) on top while serving. In Mumbai, these sandwiches are served with tomato ketchup or pumpkin ketchup and green cilantro chutney. You can also enjoy them as it is without any side condiments.

Expert Advice

1. Bread: I utilized newly made bread to create these sandwiches, but feel free to use any soft bread of your preference. Some excellent alternatives include wholemeal bread, pumpernickel bread, multigrain bread, finger millet bread, or whole grain bread.

2. Vegetables: This sandwich includes beet, tomato, cucumber, potato, and onion. I add equal amounts of each vegetable. However, you can add more or less of your preferred ones or omit any vegetables that you do not enjoy. For an authentic Bombay Sandwich, I suggest incorporating beetroot.

3. Chutney: Green chutney contributes a delightfully spicy flavor to this sandwich. When preparing green chutney from scratch, you can include fewer or more certain ingredients. For instance, include fewer green peppers if you prefer a milder chutney and include more if you desire more spiciness. You can also incorporate fresh peppermint leaves into the chutney for a rejuvenating flavor.

4. Additions: If you desire even more flavor, you can incorporate cheese or cottage cheese into this Veg Sandwich. Add mozzarella or cheddar cheese.

5. Vegan option: To create a vegan variation of the sandwich, substitute butter with vegan butter. Additionally, include vegan cheese instead of dairy cheese.