Advertisement

Indian street food is so vibrant and the number of dishes on offer is huge, but the Bombay sandwich is definitely high up on my list. There are so many variations you can find at a local street stall in Mumbai and one of my favourites has got to be a chilli cheese toastie. The crucial part of any good toastie for me has got to be the right ratio of bread, filling and cheese, and this one ticks all the boxes.

Ingredients

  • 300g potatoes, boiled until tender, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp (see cook’s notes below) chaat masala
  • ½ green pepper, finely chopped
  • ½ red onion, finely chopped
  • (a farmhouse loaf or bloomer is good for this) 8 slices soft white bread
  • softened butter
  • 8 slices emmental

GREEN CHUTNEY

  • 1 tbsp pistachio kernels, soaked in just-boiled water for 20 minutes
  • 100g mint leaves
  • 50g coriander leaves
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 green bird’s-eye chilli, (add 1 more if you like it spicy)
  • ¼ red onion, finely chopped
  • 3cm chunk ginger, chopped
  • a pinch caster sugar

Method

  • STEP 1

    Blend all the chutney ingredients with a good splash of water to a thick paste. It will make more than you need but keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge.

  • STEP 2

    Put the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and mix in the chaat masala. Add the green peppers and red onion, and mix well.

  • STEP 3

    Lay the bread slices on a board and spread butter generously on each slice. Now spread a layer of green chutney on four slices, and divide the potato filling between the other four slices, topped with couple of slices of cheese on each. Make four sandwiches by lightly pressing the slices together.

  • STEP 4

    Spread more butter on the outsides of the sandwiches. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the first sandwich with a lid on for 2 minutes until the base goes crispy, light brown and evenly coloured. Turn over using a spatula and fry the other side for 2 minutes with the lid on.

  • STEP 5

    Make the remaining toasties in the same way and serve warm with more chutney, ketchup or hot sauce.

Cook's notes

Chaat masala is a blend of spices, including cumin, coriander, fennel, amchoor (mango powder), asafoetida and kala namak (black salt), which has a distinctive flavour. Buy online or in large supermarkets, or visit olivemagazine.com for a recipe to make your own.


Check out our best toastie recipes

Cheese and balsamic shallot toastie

Authors

Advertisement

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement