A kati roll is a street-food dish originating from Kolkata, West Bengal. In its original form, it is a skewer-roasted kebab wrapped in a paratha bread, although over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of kati roll. There are other names for this like roti wrap or frankie or even a Bombay Burrito.
My recipe uses amaranth flour for the rotis making it gluten free and protein rich. The filling is spicy and the combination of mashed chick peas makes this a complete vegan and gluten free meal.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE ROTIS
1 cup amaranth flour
¼ cup chickpea flour (besan)
¼ cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon coconut oil
A pinch of salt and sugar
Some rice flour for rolling out the rotis
Vegetable oil like sunflower oil for cooking the rotis
FOR THE FILLING
300g potatoes
400g tin of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and mashed
200g (1 cup) frozen spinach, thawed as per instructions on the packet
100g green beans, chopped into 1cm pieces
3-4tbsps finely chopped fresh coriander
3tbsps vegetable oil like sunflower oil
1tsp chilli powder
1tbsp cumin seed powder
½tsp turmeric powder
Juice from half a lemon
Salt to taste
METHOD
Measure out all the flours into a mixing bowl along with sugar and salt. Mix in the coconut oil and using warm water from the tap, make a dough. My tip is to add water a little at a time as the dough needs to be pliable enough, so you can roll out. Set aside covered with a tea towel.
Boil the potatoes in their skins. Allow to cool and peel skin. Mash lightly and set aside.
Heat oil in a small wok or kadai on medium heat. Fry the fresh coriander leaves for 30 seconds. Then add the chilli powder, cumin seed powder and turmeric powder. Continue frying for a further 30 seconds. If it is all sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a few spoons of water. Mix in the mashed potato and chickpeas. Once the spices are well incorporated, you can toss the beans and spinach. Season with salt and if need be a few spoons of water. Cover and cook for five minutes. Squeeze in the juice of lemon and set aside.
Divide the dough into 6 – 8 balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out about 20cms diameter round rotis. You can use the rice flour for dusting to prevent from sticking. Have a flat pancake pan or fry pan on medium heat. Fry the roti one at a time on the hot pan. Use half a teaspoon of oil or so per roti while cooking. Cook both sides till brown spots appear. Set aside covered with a plate or tea towel to prevent drying out. Repeat till all the rolled out rotis are cooked.
ASSEMBLY
Divide the filling mixture into the number of rotis you have. Place one roti on the hot pan. Tip the portion of filling onto the roti and roll it. Press down the roll with a spatula so it gets a bit brown and crunchy. If you like, you can add some grated cheese to the filling before rolling the roti in which case you would kati roll or roti wrap until cheese has melted. Serve hot. Makes 6-8 kati rolls.