The kathi roll was invented at Nizam’s restaurant on New Market Street, Kolkata, sometime in the 1930s: a seekh kebab wrapped in a paratha, devised for office workers who could not stop to eat. The egg-coated paratha is the signature — egg brushed on before the final flip, so it fries into the bread.
Inside: spiced mutton or chicken tikka, raw onion, green chutney, a squeeze of lime. It is the great Kolkata street lunch, and it has been copied everywhere and matched nowhere.
Zone: River Delta
SOURCE: Translated from a recipe documented at Nizam’s restaurant, New Market, Kolkata, 2018.
LOCAL NAME: কাঠি রোল
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oil
- 100 ml warm water (approximately)
- 4 eggs (beaten)
- 400 g chicken thigh (boneless, cut into strips)
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 medium onions (finely sliced)
- 4 green chillies (finely sliced)
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)
- 2 limes (cut into wedges)
- Kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce or green chutney to serve)
METHOD
- Make the paratha dough: combine flour, salt, and oil. Add warm water gradually and knead to a smooth, pliable dough. Rest covered for 20 minutes.
- Marinate the chicken: combine chicken strips with ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, mustard oil, and salt. Mix well and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll each into a thin circle, roughly 25cm diameter.
- Cook the chicken: heat a pan over high heat. Fry the marinated chicken strips for 6–8 minutes until cooked through and slightly charred at the edges. Set aside.
- Cook the parathas: heat a tawa or flat pan over medium-high heat. Cook each paratha dry for 1 minute per side until lightly coloured. Push to the side of the pan, add a little oil, and pour a quarter of the beaten egg directly onto the pan. Immediately place the paratha on top of the egg and press gently. Cook for 30 seconds until the egg sets and adheres to the paratha. Flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds.
- Assemble: lay the paratha egg-side up. Place a line of chicken strips down the centre. Top with sliced onion, green chilli, and coriander. Add a squeeze of lime and a spoonful of kasundi. Roll tightly. Wrap the bottom half in paper or foil. Serve immediately.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) from South Asian grocers or online — Pran brand is widely available. Green chutney as substitute. Mustard oil from South Asian grocers. Ready-made frozen paratha from South Asian grocers (Pran or Kawan brand) is an acceptable shortcut — cook from frozen on a dry tawa, then proceed with the egg step as normal. Everything else from any supermarket.
US adaptation: Kasundi from Patel Brothers, Indian grocery stores, or online. Mustard oil from Patel Brothers or Amazon. Ready-made frozen paratha from Patel Brothers or H-Mart — cook from frozen on a dry tawa, then proceed with the egg step as normal. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: The egg paratha is what makes a kathi roll a kathi roll. Do not skip this step or cook the egg separately — it must be pressed onto the paratha on the griddle so it becomes part of the bread.