Share
Succulent, juicy, lightly roasted and all things spicy, the entry of kathi rolls to the street food scene of India isn’t a surprise, given how Indians love to devour all things flavourful. Kebab fillings delicately wrapped in layered parathas, kathi roll is among the wholesome and most satisfying treats around in today’s Indian street food. Go to any local market around in metro cities or even smaller districts, one can find a street side vendor dishing out piping hot rolls with egg, juicy meat filling or a crunchy vegetable and paneer filling. Oodles of tangy sauces and chutneys make for a zesty treat that is irresistible. But how did the mighty kathi rolls came into being? Ever thought about it while biting a huge chunk out of it?
As per the most commonly accepted stories around the origin of kathi rolls, it traces back to 1932 at Nizam’s - popular restaurant in Kolkata known for its kebabs. The story goes that the British babus did not want to eat kebabs with their hands, and so Nizam’s decided to roll up the finely roasted meat in a flaky paratha, and then serve it in a paper wrapper. Isn’t that interesting? While another story goes that Nizam’s was pushed into inventing kathi rolls as a portable snack for its hurried customers. The kebabs of Nizam’s though immensely popular, were greasy and cumbersome to be eaten on the go. And thus, to avoid losing out on office-going patrons looking for quick snack, the restaurant wrapped parathas over kebabs. Little did they know, it will be a massive hit even in the 21st century!
The name kathi roll, however wasn’t what it is today. Initially it was just rolls, until Nizam’s made a switch from iron skewers to bamboo sticks (locally called kati) to grill the kebabs in 1964. It was made to accommodate large scale production of kebabs, which wasn’t possible on heavy iron skewers. Today, the name is more to do with how the kebabs are rolled into paratha instead of rumali roti. A distinction roll purists would swear by!
Traditionally a kathi roll consists of a flavorful meat kebab stuffing wrapped in a paratha cooked in eggs, but with years of experimentation one can get many different variations to it.
Want to try kathi roll at home? We’ve got a perfect recipe for you right here.
