A Bombay Sandwich is a little bit of vegetarian heaven. Fluffy white bread loaded with sliced veggies and slathered with a spicy-herby chutney, it is totally craveable.

Bombay Sandwiches layered with potato, tomato, cucumbers, and an herb chutney sauce

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Juliana and I shared a version of this Bombay Sandwich recipe in our book The Lazy Gourmet and it has been on our minds ever since. Like, for real.

The recipe was shared with us by a generous friend who grew up in Mumbai and enjoyed these sandwiches regularly.

What Is a Bombay Sandwich?

Food stalls on the streets of the Indian city of Mumbai sell these delicious vegetarian sandwiches. The recipe varies from vendor to vendor.

Some are grilled. Some have cheese. But all include buttered bread stuffed with cooked and raw vegetables and seasoned with chutney and spices.

Cooked potato is a mainstay ingredient in a Bombay sandwich. Other common fillings include bell peppers, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and more.

A Bombay Sandwich also usually includes a green chutney of fresh herbs and chilies and an aromatic spice mixture (masala). Our Cilantro Yogurt Chutney combines the chutney and spice mixture into a creamy yogurt sauce.

How Are Bombay Sandwiches Made?

Our Bombay Sandwich recipe is super easy to make. First, we mix garlic, ginger, herbs, chilies, and garam masala in a yogurt base.

Next, we slather unsalted butter on slices of soft, slightly sweet white bread. We love to use our own Buttermilk Bread, but you can use country-style buttermilk bread from the supermarket.

We microwave a potato until it is tender and then slice it. Next we layer the potato slices onto the buttered bread along with raw vegetable slices.

Finally, we spoon the Cilantro Yogurt Chutney over the veggies and then top with a second slice of buttered bread. The butter is crucial as it keeps the bread from getting soggy.

Can You Add Other Things to a Bombay Sandwich?

Yes! You can get as creative as you want here. Add steamed or roasted beets, pickled onions, sliced radishes, or other veggies.

You can also add slices of cheese. I like a sharp white Cheddar, creamy Fontina, or mild Paneer, but you can use any good melting cheese.

Or add our Spicy Zhoug Sauce in addition to or instead of the yogurt chutney.

And you can grill it, too. Grilling is especially recommended for the cheesy version.

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Yield: Makes 4 sandwiches

Bombay Sandwiches

Name: Bombay Sandwiches
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 large red potato (about 12 ounces); 8 slices soft white bread, such as country style buttermilk, crusts removed; ½ cup Cilantro Yogurt Chutney; 1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 large tomato, thinly sliced; kosher salt to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

This recipe is adapted from our cookbook The Lazy Gourmet. We got the idea from our friend and home chef Aneela Brister who remembers getting these from street vendors in her hometown of Bombay (now Mumbai). You can use any white bread, but for the best results we recommend country style buttermilk bread (make it at home or buy it at any supermarket), which is slightly sweet.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 large red potato (about 12 ounces)
8 slices soft white bread, such as country style buttermilk, crusts removed
½ cup Cilantro Yogurt Chutney
1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

Place potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high until cooked through, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes and the power of your microwave. (Cook for intervals of 1 or 2 minutes, checking to see if they’re cooked through by poking with a fork, which should penetrate easily.) When potatoes are cooked, slice them into thin discs.
Spread a quarter of the Cilantro Yogurt Chutney (about 2 tablespoons per sandwich) on each of 4 bread slices. Layer the sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumber on top, dividing equally and salting each layer lightly. Grind pepper over the top layer. Spread butter on the remaining 4 slices of bread, dividing equally, and place atop the sandwiches, butter side down, pressing firmly. Cut each sandwich along both diagonals to create 4 small triangles.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 595Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 26gCholesterol 19mgSodium 760mgCarbohydrates 58gFiber 4gSugar 14gProtein 12g

Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

3 thoughts on “Bombay Sandwich with Cilantro Yogurt Chutney”

Aneela Mirchandani

September 23, 2019 at 7:56 pm

Thanks for highlighting this one, Juliana/Robin. The street food vendors in Mumbai also offer a strange concoction that they call “ketchup” but is actually made out of squash. To be more descriptive, you would call it “kaddu ketchup”. It goes very well slathered on on slice while the other is slathered with cilantro chutney.
Someday I plan to try that out at home; if I do, I’ll let you know!
You might like to check out my other recipes here: https://theoddpantry.com.