Chicken Kathi (Kati) Rolls

  These chicken kathi rolls make for a great snack or party food. Kathi roll also known as Kati Roll is a street-food originating from Kolkata, India. Its original form was a kati kabab enclosed in a paratha, but over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of Kati Roll. Today, pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kati roll. The innovations tend to be in two areas – the fillings or the wrap. Common variants on the filling are egg, potato, paneer, mixed vegetables and curried chicken or mutton. More exotic versions can have combinations of ingredients, or fancy curries such as Thai or Schezwan. (Source – Wikipedia). Try these easy and super-yummy kathi rolls.

Ingredients ( Makes 8 – 10 Rotis )

For dough

1. Plain flour / maida – 1.5 – 2 cups
2. Wheat flour  (atta) – 1/2 – 1 cup 
3. Potato – 1 small, boiled and grated
4. Oil – 1 tbsp
5. Salt – 1 tsp or to taste

  For the filling

1. Boneless chicken – 400 –  500 gm, cut to small cubes ( I used 2 chicken breasts)
2. Onion – 1 small, finely chopped or ground to a paste (Chop the onions roughly to large chunks and grind in a mixie to a paste)
3. Ginger – garlic paste – 2 tsp 
4. Tomato – 1 large, chopped
5. Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
7. Salt – To taste

Other ingredients

1. Eggs – 2 – 3, beaten
2. Lemon juice – 2 tsp
3. Sliced onion – 1/2 cup
4. Green chutney – 1/4 – 1/2 cup (See the recipe below)
5. Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

1. To prepare the dough – In a large bowl mix maida and whole wheat flour. Add grated potato, oil and salt. Mix well. Knead into a firm dough of rolling consistency with some warm water. ( I kneaded the dough in a food processor). Keep aside covered.

2. To prepare the filling, heat oil in a pan at medium heat. Add chopped onion / onion paste, little salt and cook till light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a few minutes until raw smell leaves. Next add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they get mashed up. Add chilly powder and pepper powder. Mix well.

3. Add the chicken pieces and enough salt. Cover and cook on medium-low flame till chicken turns tender and cooked. Open the lid and stir-fry until they get somewhat dry. Switch off the flame. Check for salt and squeeze lemon juice to taste.

To prepare the rolls

1. Beat 2 eggs lightly with a pinch of pepper powder and salt. Divide the dough to equal sized balls. Flatten them with a rolling pin. Cook the chapathis on both sides (applying little oil or ghee on both sides, if you like) on a tawa. Pour 2 tbsp of beaten egg on the chapathi and flip it to cook the egg ( do not overcook). Remove from tawa, keeping the egg-coated side up.

2. Arrange chicken filling on the chapathi, add a little green chutney, some sliced onions, sprinkle little lemon/lime juice and kebab/chaat masala, if you like. Roll the chapathi tightly to form the kathi roll. To serve, wrap the lower part of the rolls in a paper napkin, butter paper or aluminium foil.

For the Green chutney

Grind a handful each of cilantro and mint, 1 small garlic clove, 1/4 inch ginger, 1 seeded green chilly, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp yoghurt and enough salt. Grind to a fine paste.

Tips:

1. You can prepare these rolls well in advance. At serving time heat in a microwave for a few seconds along with the paper napkin.

2. You can substitute chicken with mutton, beef or pork. Prepare them in a pressure cooker to make them tender.

4. You could also try this recipe with paneer filling and other veggies like bell pepper, tomato, cucumber or even cooked spinach.

5. I have used only about 1-2 tbsp of egg / roti. You can use 1 egg per roti if you wish.

6. You can cook the rotis in advance and keep them covered in an aluminum foil or in a casserole. At serving time, reheat them, pour beaten egg on one side, flip over and cook the egg, arrange chicken filling and roll up. You can even use store-bought chapathis or tortilla breads if you wish.

7. You could also try chicken tikka kati rolls. Click here for chicken tikka recipe.