Mumbai locals eagerly line up for their distinct local delicacy: a crunchy, buttery grilled vegetable-filled sandwich generously coated with a zesty, freshly prepared green chutney.

When it comes to India's perpetual debate of whether Mumbai or Delhi reigns as the superior city, food enthusiasts often focus on the culinary rivalry. Delhi garners acclaim for its extensive array of street fare, yet Mumbai emerges triumphant when it comes to the art of crafting sandwiches.

Though the concept of sandwiches was introduced to India by the British, Mumbai's residents, affectionately known as Mumbaikars, have infused their unique blend of ingredients and spices to make it truly their own.

The Bombay sandwich (which locals still prefer to call it, rather than its modern name, Mumbai sandwich) boasts a relatively straightforward recipe. Boiled potatoes, alongside raw vegetables such as onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, are tucked between slices of richly buttered white bread, shunning any notions of fancy brown or multigrain variations. These sandwiches are then generously slathered with a vibrant green chutney, concocted from fresh herbs and spices, elevating the flavor profile to new heights. The cooking method involves toasting the sandwich using a rustic handheld toaster called a "chimta" over an open flame, yielding a soft center encased in a crispy crust. In recent times, an extra indulgence has been introduced with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.

This iconic dish mirrors the city's ethos of hospitality and inclusion. Even before the British introduced sandwiches to India, the Portuguese played a role in bringing both potatoes and bread to the country. They employed local toddy (fermented palm sap alcohol) to ferment and bake "pav," the soft and fluffy bun that forms the base of another of Mumbai's famous street foods, the vada pav.

"The Bombay sandwich likely developed as a meal for the migrant workers who flocked to Mumbai from various parts of India," suggests cookbook author Sonal Ved, in reference to historical claims. "In the 1960s, when Mumbai had a thriving textile mill industry, laborers required affordable meal options, and that's when this sandwich was born."

Though the textile mills have long ceased operation, the sandwich endures, providing a budget-friendly and convenient meal option for office workers and college students on the move. To this day, every street corner in Mumbai boasts a sandwich vendor, with the most popular ones drawing long queues. These "sandwichwalas" conduct brisk business, serving their delectable creations on paper plates, accompanied by a generous helping of thick ketchup.

While Ved's previous books, "Tiffin" and "Whose Samosa Is It Anyway?", both delve into Indian cuisine, exploring recipes and origin stories respectively, her latest work, "India Local: Classic Street Food Recipes" (published in August 2023), casts a spotlight on the diverse range of street food offerings from across the country. In addition to the Bombay sandwich, the book features classics like pani puri, daulat ki chaat, and mutton momos (dumplings stuffed with minced mutton and mixed vegetables), as well as Ved's own creations, such as barley and couscous tikki (patties) and guacamole galauti (avocado kababs).

"Most of these recipes are family secrets—things I've learned from my mother, sisters, aunts, Indian wedding caterers, and family cooks," Ved explains. She has been collecting these recipes for some time, adding her own twist to traditional dishes. For instance, her version of the Bombay sandwich's chutney incorporates blanched and pureed spinach and chickpea flour to enhance its nutritional value, while the chaat masala sprinkled over the vegetable filling provides a tangy kick. "The recipe is my own—this is how we've been making it at home for years," she proudly declares.

Despite the proliferation of street food stalls and even upscale restaurants offering various versions of the Bombay sandwich—incorporating ingredients like beetroot, avocado, imported cheeses, deli meats, and even chocolate or Nutella spread—prepared using electric toasters and high-tech grills, the classic rendition remains immensely popular. And for good reason; nothing quite matches the perfect harmony of flavors and textures found in this iconic sandwich.

Here's the recipe for the Bombay Sandwich, by Sonal Ved:

Ingredients

For the Chutney:

2 cups coriander leaves
3 tbsp blanched spinach puree (see Note)
5 ice cubes
6 green chillies
6 garlic cloves
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp chaat masala
½ tbsp chickpea flour
Salt to taste
For the Sandwich:

3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
6 slices of white bread
½ cup thinly sliced onions
½ cup thinly sliced boiled potato
½ cup thinly sliced tomato
½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
½ cup sliced capsicum (red pepper) (optional)
½ cup grated cheese
1 tbsp chaat masala
Salt and pepper to taste
Chilli sauce and tomato ketchup for serving
Method

Step 1
To make the chutney, blend the coriander leaves and spinach puree in a food processor along with the ice cubes, green chillies, garlic, minced ginger, chaat masala, and chickpea flour until a fine paste forms. Add salt to taste.

Step 2
For the sandwiches, butter both sides of each slice of bread and generously spread them with the chutney.

Step 3
To assemble, layer three slices of bread with onions, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and capsicum if using. Sprinkle cheese generously over the vegetables, followed by chaat masala, salt, and pepper. Top each with another slice of bread.

Step 4
Grill the sandwiches in a sandwich machine or panini maker. Alternatively, you can toast them on a grill pan, turning them carefully to achieve an even char on the bread. Cut into pieces and serve hot with chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, and extra chutney.

Note
To make spinach puree, blanch chopped spinach in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and puree.

Article courtesy BBC