Food I Eat: Kati Rolls

Kolkata is known for many things, but Kati Rolls may be the most tasty Kolkata child of them all. My first visit was not complete without a trip to Park Street and a dripping, spicy Kati Roll. The warmth of the paratha, the crunch of the onions, the kick of the sauce. I remember very clearly that this was something very special. We walked across the street, back to our car, and I chomped on my roll the whole way back.

To compare it to a “roll” or “wrap” in the US would do both meals an injustice. A US wrap is often considered a healthy alternative to a high carb sandwich or even being more like a hand held salad. Tasty in its own right, for sure, but nothing like a Kati. History has it that the Kati was developed in Kolkata because clean plates could not be readied fast enough to meet the demands of a buying public. So the customers who were buying a kebab and a paratha, were instead giving the kebab IN a paratha. Whoa! I wish I could have been there the first day this happened, to see the angry costumers who demanded a clean plate, feeling cheated by this new and strange dish.

In its very basic form, the Kati is a paratha – a sort of flat bread – with an omelet layer inside. Vegetables – or maybe just spicy onions – are dumped inside with a little sauce, rolled up and dropped in your hand. You rip back the paper and eat. The sauce and oils are so present that you must wash your hands afterward. Most places will have a pitcher of water just for this purpose.

In Mumbai you can get a Frankie, which is somewhat similar, but of course being from Kolkata I would prefer the Kati. The Frankie seems to be more experimental in its flavor combination, which make it more adaptable but also less Indian, in some ways.

My favorite roll is from “Hot Kati Roll” on Park Street. Watch them make it. They’re like a tiny factory. So efficient. So delicious. If you want a “safe” roll, head down to the Park Hotel and in to “The Street” cafe. Not as tasty, but you can eat it without any fear. I would also recommend making them at home. I made one last night as a snack and it was wonderful.