Where it all began
The Mumbai Toastie
The very first thing we ever sold — off a griddle, wrapped in paper, handed across a market table. Everything else came after this.
- Family recipe
- Vegetarian
- Beginner friendly
- Step-by-step recipe
- Classroom tested
The Story of the Mumbai Toastie
This was the first dish we ever made as Mumbai Mix.
The idea started when my sister Dimple went wedding shopping in India and came back talking about the Mumbai sandwich everyone seemed to know and love. I had never been, but I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Growing up, cheese toasties were my thing. I made them for my siblings, my cousins, and anyone who came round hungry. So when Mum and I started dreaming up Mumbai Mix, it made sense to begin with something familiar — but make it ours.
We built our version with Mum's red pepper sauce, proper chutney, chaat masala and three layers instead of two.
Customers loved it, but it wasn't quick enough for market life every week. That pushed us towards curries, and later dosas.
But this is where Mumbai Mix began.
Recipe Card
The Mumbai Toastie
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient as you go
For the chutney / For the toastie
Method
- 1. Blend the coriander, green chillies, lemon juice and salt with a splash of water to a thick, spreadable paste.
- 2. Spread chutney generously on all four slices of bread. Layer potato, tomato, cucumber and onion on two slices, then season with chaat masala.
- 3. Scatter the grated cheese over the vegetables, then close the sandwich with the second slice, chutney-side down.
- 4. Butter the outside of both slices. Toast in a hot sandwich press or a griddle pan with a weight on top, until deep golden and crisp.
- 5. Cut into triangles while still hot, and serve straight away with extra chutney on the side.
FAQs
Can I make the toastie without a sandwich press?
Yes — a heavy frying pan works well. Cook it in the pan and press down firmly with a second, smaller pan or a heatproof plate to get the same flattened, crisped effect a press would give.
What can I use instead of Mum's red pepper sauce?
A shop-bought roasted red pepper hummus or a smoky harissa mayo are the closest substitutes in flavour and texture, though neither will taste quite the same as the real thing.
Can I prepare the filling in advance?
Yes — the sauce and chutney can both be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Assemble and press the toastie fresh, since pre-pressed sandwiches lose their crisp texture if left to sit.
Is chaat masala essential, or can I leave it out?
It adds the distinctive tangy, savoury edge that defines this toastie's flavour, so it's worth seeking out. If you genuinely can't find it, a pinch of ground cumin and a squeeze of lemon gets closer than leaving it out entirely.
Can this be made as a wrap instead of a toastie?
Yes — the same filling works well in a warm flour tortilla or chapati if you'd rather roll it than press it, though you'll lose the crisp, griddled bread that's part of what makes it a toastie.
What's the best bread to use if I don't have the exact type Mumbai Mix uses?
A sturdy white or wholemeal sandwich bread that can handle pressing without falling apart works best. Very soft, thin-sliced bread tends to tear once filled and pressed.
From Our Kitchen ❤️
Cheese toasties were the one thing I could always make.
Before Mumbai Mix, before the stall, before the queues, they were my little signature at home — made for my brothers, my cousins, and anyone who turned up hungry.
When Mum and I created the Mumbai Toastie, we took that memory and built on it: Mum's red pepper sauce, the bit we still keep to ourselves, a proper chutney, chaat masala and the three-layer sandwich style I had become obsessed with.
Selling it at Southbank with KERB felt huge. It was one of those moments where I thought, maybe we're really doing this.
It wasn't the dish that carried the business in the end.
But it was the dish that started it.
— Deshna & Mum
Read the full story of how the the mumbai toastie started Mumbai Mix, in the journal. Or explore the product this recipe is built around.