Grilled Bombay Sandwich

One of the best sandwiches ever. This recipe makes large sandwiches that you serve cut into smaller pieces. It’s delicious. This recipe was slightly adapted from Amisha Gurbani’s Mumbai Modern (Countryman Press, 2021). Watch the video to get the hang of assembling the sandwiches.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 medium ((10 oz total) red or yellow beets, scrubbed and halved)
• 2 medium ((12 oz total) white or yellow potatoes, scrubbed)
• 12 slices soft white or wheat sandwich bread
• 6 to 8 tablespoons salted butter, (plus 4 tablespoons for grilling, at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup Cilantro Mint Chutney, (plus more to serve (see link in Notes))
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Sandwich Masala, (recipe below, or chaat masala spice blend)
• 2/3 cup melty cheese, (such as Monterey Jack, Provolone, or a pizza blend)
• 1 medium English, (or 2 large Persian cucumbers, cut as scant 1/4-inch-thick slices)
• 1 small red onion, (thinly sliced, or 3/4 cup sliced green onion)
• 2 medium firm-ripe tomatoes, (cut as scant 1/4-inch-thick slices)
• Ketchup, (to serve)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Pressure steam the beets and potato. Put 1 1/2 cups water into a pressure cooker. Slide a steamer insert in, then add the beets and potatoes. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure. Lower the heat to steady cooking, then cook for 14 minutes. Let the cooker rest on a cool burner for 5 minutes. Release any residual pressure, then unlock. (Poke the beets with a knife tip to check doneness. If needed, cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer.) Transfer the veggies to a plate to cool.
2. 2When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, rub off the beet skin. Slice the beets 1/4-inch thick. Retain the potato skin for nutrients, if you like. Cut the potato just as thick as the beets.
3. 3To assemble sandwiches, set out all the ingredients: beets, potato, bread, butter, chutney, sandwich masala, cheese, cucumber, onion, and tomato.
4. 4For each sandwich, use 3 slices of bread, arranging them on your work surface, 3 cut sides facing up. Butter each of the 3 sides of bread facing you with a generous 1 teaspoon butter. Smear 1 1/2 teaspoons chutney on top of each slice.
5. 5On 1 piece of prepped bread, layer on ingredients as follows: potato, masala, beet, masala, and cheese. Set another piece of the prepped bread, buttered-chutneyed side down, on top. Smear about 1 teaspoon butter onto the plain side of bread now facing you. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon chutney.
6. 6Now layer on ingredients in this order: cucumber, masala, onion, masala, tomato, masala, and cheese. Cover with a third slice of prepped bread, butter-chutney side facing down. Repeat to make more triple decker sandwiches. Do it in an assembly line once you understand the order for layering the ingredients.
7. 7To grill the Bombay sandwiches, heat a panini grill (or use a cast iron grill pan set over medium heat). Melt some butter on the grill, add the sandwiches (as many as the grill can fit). Butter the top sides of bread. Close the panini grill (or invert a cast-iron skillet if using a stovetop grill pan). Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, turning midway if using a grill pan, until crisp and brown on the outside.
8. 8Use a thin metal spatula to transfer the sandwiches to a cooling rack. Repeat to cook the other sandwiches. Cool cooked sandwich for about 2 minutes, then use a bread knife to halve or quarter. Serve immediately with extra chutney and ketchup. Invite diners to spoon the condiments onto their sandwich portions.