Sandwiched in the city

Bombay bagel

There is something about the classic Bombay sandwich that makes even hardcore carnivores give it a nod of approval. Maybe it's the simplicity of it all - two slices of bread with mint chutney being filled with basic vegetables. Or maybe it is the fact that the staple stands out as a healthier option in a sea of fried snacks like vada pav and paani puri. Either way, it has attained a certain sense of nostalgia because you get a whiff of Mumbai when you think about it, like Bengalis living outside Kolkata do when they think about aloo dum and luchi.

That's the nostalgia that Bombay bagel captures. It's an item at The Bagel Shop in Bandra, which is inspired by the Bombay sandwich. "We wanted to get the familiarity and emotions that go with it, and stuff all of that in a bagel," says owner Anil Kably. The sandwich stays largely true to the original version, with slices of beetroot, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and other vegetables piled on top of each other between a toasted bagel, before being topped with cheese. But if there's one ingredient that's most important, it's the mint chutney. Without it, it would just be a plain old vegetable sandwich that you can get anywhere in the world, and not one that might remind you of food stalls outside Mumbai stations while you are sitting at a cafe in London or Paris.

Time: 9 am to 10 pm
At: The Bagel Shop, Pali Mala Road, Bandra West.
Call: 26050178
Cost: Rs 369

Bombay bagel

Ingredients
>>1 bagel
>>20 gm mint chutney
>>30 gm boiled potatoes
>>15 gm onions
>>30 gm cucumber
>>30 gm tomatoes
>>20 gm butter
>>5 gm chaat masala
>>15 gm aloo bhujiya
>>30 gm beetroot
>>Tomato ketchup

Method
Saute the onions in some butter till they are brown. Now, tip in the boiled potatoes. Add in some salt, pepper, chaat masala and mustard. Toast the bagel. Spread green chutney across the bagel base and top it with the bhujiya. Fill it in with tomato and cucumber slices, and cheese. Serve it with a home salad on the side.