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Mumbai Sandwich ()

Mumbai Sandwich

VegetarianOrigin Mumbai

A layered Mumbai-style sandwich with buttered bread, fresh green chutney, sliced vegetables, a cumin-cinnamon-amchoor spice mix and cheddar. It tastes fresh and tangy, with gentle heat and a savoury cheese finish.

Sandwich masala

5 gMixed in a bowl before assembly, then sprinkled between the sandwich layers
01
1.3 g½ teaspoon
spice
03
1.3 g½ teaspoon
souring agent
Stir in 2.9 g salt until evenly combined and set aside.

Everything else

01
200 g8 slices
grain
02
56 g4 tablespoons
dairy
03
Red onion · Pyazthinly sliced
150 g1 onion
vegetable
04
Cucumber · Kheerathinly sliced
200 g1 cucumber
vegetable
05
Potato · Alooboiled and sliced
300 g1 potato
vegetable
06
Tomato · Tamatarthinly sliced
240 g2 tomatoes
vegetable
07
3 g2 chillies
vegetable
08
Cheddar cheesegrated, plus extra for sprinkling
90 g
dairy
09
to taste
salt
10
2.9 g½ teaspoon
salt
13
50 g1 lemon
fruit
14
1.5 g1 chilli
vegetable
15
120 g1 tomato
vegetable
16
6 g1½ cm
aromatic
17
8 g2 teaspoons
sweetener

Method

  1. Mix 1.3 g ground cumin, 1.3 g ground cinnamon, 1.3 g amchoor, 1.1 g ground black pepper and 2.9 g salt in a bowl; set aside the sandwich masala.
  2. Blend 40 g mint leaf, 40 g coriander leaf and stem, 50 g lemon juice, 2 g green bird’s eye chilli, 120 g tomato, 6 g fresh ginger, 8.4 g granulated sugar, a pinch of salt and a little water to a fine paste.
  3. Stack 200 g soft white bread slices and trim the edges level, leaving most of the crust intact.
  4. Spread 56.4 g salted butter over one side of each bread slice.
  5. Spread chutney over the buttered side of each slice.
  6. On 4 slices, layer 150 g red onion, a sprinkle of the sandwich masala, 80 g cucumber, 300 g potato, more sandwich masala, 240 g tomato, more sandwich masala and 4 g green bird’s eye chilli; season with salt to taste.
  7. Scatter 90 g cheddar cheese over the remaining 4 slices, close each sandwich and press lightly.
  8. Spread any leftover chutney on top, sprinkle with extra cheddar cheese and cut each sandwich into 4.

Don't have something?

White bread
  • Bread slice

    Use the same weight; remove crusts if the recipe wants soft crumb.

  • Bread

    Use the same weight; adjust slices by weight, not count.

  • Bread roll

    Use the same weight; it is denser and sweeter, so reduce sugar slightly and soak if making crumbs.

Salted butter
  • Unsalted butter

    Use the same weight; add about 1.5 g salt per 100 g and reduce the recipe's added salt.

  • Slightly salted butter

    Use the same weight and add a small pinch of salt; taste before adding more.

  • Ghee

    Use the same weight; richer and nuttier, and reduce added salt slightly.

Red onion
  • Onion

    Use the same weight; cook a little longer. Milder and less sweet when raw.

  • Shallot

    Use the same weight; sweeter and softer, so reduce cooking time slightly.

  • Spring onion

    Use only the white parts, weight for weight, for raw or quick-cooked dishes; green parts are too grassy for long cooking.

Cucumber
  • Courgette

    Use the same weight; peel if eating raw and salt-drain briefly. Softer and less watery.

  • White radish

    Use 70% of the weight, grate, salt and squeeze out water. Sharper and peppery.

  • Chayote

    Use the same weight, peeled and diced; crisp but bland, so adjust salt and lemon.

Potato
  • Eggplant

    Use equal weight. Cut into large chunks; cooks down much faster (10-12 minutes) and softens into the sauce rather than staying starchy and firm.

  • Paneer

    Use 80% of the weight. Cube and add in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking; adds rich dairy protein instead of starchy bulk.

  • Dried chickpea

    Use 45% dry weight. Soak overnight and boil until fully soft before stirring into the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Tomato
  • Tomato purée

    Use 40% to 50% of the fresh tomato weight mixed with a splash of water. Imparts a deeper red colour, thicker sauce, and slightly sweeter cooked flavour.

  • Plain yogurt

    Use 60% of the weight, whisked smooth and added on low heat. Provides rich body and sourness, though the gravy becomes paler and creamier.

Green bird's eye chilli
  • Bird's eye green chilli

    Use the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.

  • Green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.

  • Fresh green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Cheddar cheese
  • Processed cheese

    Use the same weight; grate or slice. Melts more smoothly but is saltier, so reduce added salt.

  • Cheese

    Use the same weight; choose a firm melting cheese and grate. Flavour varies with the cheese.

  • Paneer

    Use the same weight; grate or crumble. It will not melt like cheddar and is less salty; best where cheese is a filling rather than a melt.

Ground cumin
  • Cumin seed

    Dry-roast briefly and grind finely; use equal weight (1:1). Imparts an even punchier, nuttier, toasty aroma than pre-ground cumin.

  • Ground coriander

    Use equal weight (1:1). Adds mild, lemony sweetness rather than cumin's smoky, earthy bite; curries will taste lighter and less savoury.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Grind finely; use 60% to 75% of the weight. Produces a darker, more complex, smoky-herbal flavour suited to rich gravies.

Ground cinnamon
  • Ground Ceylon cinnamon

    Milder and sweeter than ground cassia: use about 1.5 times the weight.

  • Cassia bark (Chinese cinnamon)

    Grind the same weight of cassia bark in a spice mill until powdery, or simmer a piece whole and lift it out before serving.

  • Ground mace

    Use 40 to 50% of the weight; offers a delicate, sweet, woodsy fragrance that complements rich curries without dominating.

Amchoor
  • Lemon juice

    Use 15 g (1 tbsp) for every 5 g of amchoor. Stir in at the very end off the heat; adds liquid and fresh citrus aroma rather than dry fruity tang.

  • Tamarind extract

    Use 75% of the weight, dissolved in a splash of warm water. Simmer briefly; darkens the gravy and provides a deeper, caramelised sourness.

Ground black pepper
  • Black peppercorn

    Use 1:1 by weight; pulverise in a spice mill or mortar to a fine powder for immediate, punchy heat.

  • Coarsely ground black pepper

    Use equal weight; offers the same bite, though it gives a visibly speckled finish and firmer crunch.

Mint leaf
  • Mint leaves

    Use the same weight; identical herb, just the plural listing.

  • Dried mint

    Use 25% of the fresh weight, about 1 g dried for 4 g fresh; crush between fingers. Flavour is stronger and slightly hay-like.

  • Coriander leaf

    Use the same weight; it gives a fresh green note but not true mint flavour.

Coriander leaves
  • Coriander (cilantro) or basil

    Use the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.

  • Basil leaves

    Use the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.

  • Coriander paste

    Use 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.

Lemon
  • Lime

    Use the same weight or juice amount; sharper, so taste before adding all the juice.

  • Lemon juice

    Use about 45–50 ml for 1 lemon; add off the heat to keep the freshness.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 1 tsp for the juice of 1 lemon; add early. Sourness is flatter and less fresh.

Fresh ginger
  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

    Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

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Aloo Ke Parathe
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Aloo Ke Parathe tastes savoury, lightly tangy and warm-spiced with a soft potato centre, while this dish tastes fresh and tangy with gentle heat and a savoury cheese finish.
  • Same: Aloo Ke Parathe shares potato, amchoor, green bird’s eye chilli, coriander and butter with this dish.
  • Different: Aloo Ke Parathe is a wholewheat flatbread stuffed with mashed potato and griddled with butter and vegetable oil, while this dish is a layered soft white-bread sandwich with cheddar, raw onion, cucumber and tomato, mint-coriander chutney and a cumin-cinnamon-amchoor spice mix.
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Bread Pakoda is crisp outside and soft, savoury and gently spicy inside with a lemon-coriander lift, while this dish is fresh and tangy with gentle heat and a savoury cheese finish.
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  • Different: Bread Pakoda is dipped in a chickpea-flour batter with turmeric, asafoetida, mustard seed and curry leaf and deep-fried, while this dish is a layered buttered sandwich with cheddar, cumin, cinnamon, amchoor, cucumber, onion and tomato.
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Pao Bhaji tastes spicier and more buttery and tomato-rich than this dish, which tastes fresh and tangy with gentle heat and a savoury cheddar finish.
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  • Different: Pao Bhaji mashes potato, tomato, peas and cauliflower on a griddle with butter, chilli powder and garam masala and serves it with toasted pav, whereas this dish layers soft white bread with cheddar, cucumber, red onion and a mint-coriander chutney soured with lemon and amchoor.
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Pao Bhaji tastes richer and more buttery, with a softer mashed texture and more chilli heat, while this dish tastes fresher and tangier with crunch and a savoury cheese finish.
  • Same: Pao Bhaji shares potato, tomato, onion, green chilli, butter, lemon and coriander with this dish, and both are served with bread.
  • Different: Pao Bhaji simmers mashed vegetables with ghee or oil, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala, then serves them with pan-toasted pav; it lacks this dish’s cheddar, mint-coriander chutney, cumin-cinnamon-amchoor mix and layered raw cucumber and onion.