The kathi roll traces back to Nizam's restaurant near New Market in Kolkata in the 1930s, where kebabs on bamboo skewers – kathi – were wrapped in paratha so busy office workers could eat on the go. Today the city has hundreds of roll counters, and 'egg chicken roll' is ordered as casually as tea.
A proper Kolkata roll uses a maida paratha cooked on a tawa with a beaten egg pressed onto one side, then filled with charred, tangy kebab pieces, raw onion, green chilli and a squeeze of lime. There is no mayonnaise and very little sauce; the flavour comes from the smoky meat, the flaky, slightly oily paratha and the sharp crunch of onion.
At a glance
| Region | West Bengal |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Bengali |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Street food |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 60 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | chicken / maida / egg / onion |
Ingredients
For the chicken kebab
- 400 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 2 cm pieces
- 3 tbsp thick curd
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- Salt to taste
For the paratha
- 2 cups maida
- 1 tbsp oil plus extra for cooking
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Water to knead
- 4 eggs
For the filling
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 4 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- Chaat masala to sprinkle
- Tomato ketchup (optional)
Method
- Mix the chicken with all the kebab ingredients and marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Knead the maida with oil, salt, sugar and enough water into a soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill over a gas flame or under a hot grill for 8-10 minutes, turning, until cooked and charred at the edges. Alternatively, sear on a very hot tawa with a little oil.
- Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll each into a thin 20 cm circle, brush with oil, fold into pleats like a fan, coil it into a spiral and roll out again to 18 cm. This gives the flaky layers.
- Cook a paratha on a medium-hot tawa for 1 minute per side with a little oil until light golden spots appear.
- Beat an egg with a pinch of salt and pour it onto the tawa. Immediately place the paratha on top of the egg and press gently. Cook for 1 minute until the egg sets and sticks to the paratha, then flip and cook 30 seconds.
- Place the paratha egg-side up. Line the centre with chicken pieces, onions and green chillies, sprinkle chaat masala and squeeze lime over it. Roll up tightly, wrap the bottom half in paper and serve immediately.
Tips
- The paratha should be crisp outside and soft inside – keep the tawa at medium, not high, so it cooks through without burning.
- Soak the sliced onions in iced water for 10 minutes and drain well for extra crunch.
- For a mutton roll, use the same marinade with boneless mutton pieces pressure-cooked first, then charred.
Serve with
Eat straight away, wrapped in paper, with an extra lime wedge.