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Kathi roll

Kati roll served inKolkata, India
Alternative names	Kathi roll
Type	Roll
Place of origin	India
Region or state	Kolkata,West Bengal
Associatedcuisine	Bengali,Indian
Main ingredients	Mutton (lamb) pieces, bread, egg (omlette)
Variations	Many, depending on ingredients
Media: Kathi roll

Akati roll (sometimes speltkathi roll;Bengali:কাঠি রোল^[1]) is a street-food dish originating fromKolkata,West Bengal, India.^[2] In its original form, it is askewer-roastedkebabwrapped in aparatha bread, although over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name ofkati roll. Today, mostly any wrap containing a filling enfolded in an Indian flatbread (roti) is called akati roll. In native Bengali, the wordkati roughly translates to 'stick', referring to how they were originally made. In Bengal though, the delicacy is simply known asroll. Kati rolls normally contain coriander chutney, egg, and chicken but the types may vary.

The kati roll is said to have started its life in the Nizam Restaurant inKolkata, a popularMughlai eatery founded in 1932 by one Raza Hassan Saheb.^[3][4] There are many stories about how exactly the roll got started.^[5] Some suggest that hurried office commuters wanted something quick and portable to eat; some mention Britishbabus who were too fastidious to make kabab.^[6] The most likely origin is probably more mundane, but in any case someone decided to roll things up at some point. Nizam enjoyed a virtual monopoly over this method of serving kababs for decades, but it eventually became commonplace in Kolkata and later spread elsewhere.^[3]

Thekati part of the name came later. Like everyone else in India, Nizam used iron skewers to make their kababs; they were easy to maintain and lasted a lifetime. However, as Nizam popularity grew, these long heavy iron skewers became problematic, as far many more were required than could be handled.^{[clarification needed]} In 1964, Nizam moved to bamboo skewers that were lightweight and available in large numbers. These skewers are referred to inBengali askati or 'stick', and the nameskati kabab andkati roll soon stuck. The name eventually became synonymous with any kind of paratha rolled with stuffing (even when neitherkati norkabab was involved) such as the egg roll or the potato roll, and later even for other breads such asnaan orrumali.^[4]

InWest Bengal, shops serving rolls are mostly known asRoll-er-dokaan and people useroll to refer to a kati roll. Chicken roll and egg roll are two of the most common variants of kati roll.

Traditionally, a kati roll is akatikebab wrapped in a layeredparatha bread. Paratha is dough that is kneaded into a rope, then coiled into a round patty. It is then flattened with a rolling pin and partially fried in oil on atawa (griddle). These semi-cooked parathas are then kept aside until needed, at which time they're put back on the tawa and cooked through. If an egg is to be added, it is usually cracked into the tawa and the paratha put on top of the egg; they both cook together and the paratha gets coated on one side with the egg.

Kati kababs were originally beef, and now have variations with chicken or mutton (lamb) chunks, marinated in spices and cooked on skewers (thekati) over coals in asigri. When the roll is being prepared, these are taken off the skewers and tossed with onions, chillies and sauces on the tawa, before being laid in a thin strip on the centre of the paratha (egg side up, when applicable). At this stage, most roll vendors will add various kinds of sauces, a dash of vinegar, a squeeze of lime, sometimes a shake ofchaat masala and maybe some julienned carrots. The whole thing is then rolled up (originally in old newspaper, but now clean paper is generally used). In Kolkata, the paper usually covers only half the roll; elsewhere the paper will cover more or even all of the roll.

Variants on the filling include egg, potato,paneer, mixed vegetables, and curried chicken or mutton. Other variants may have different ingredient combinations, or curries such as Thai orSichuan. In August 2012, U.S.-based fast food chainTaco Bell released a version of the kati roll in India. The "Mexican-inspired burrito" is a combination of a kati roll and a Kathitto.^[7]

• Paratha roll, a similar dish from Karachi

• List of stuffed dishes

• Culture of Kolkata
• Indian fast food
• Appetizers
• Street food
• Sandwiches
• Bangladeshi cuisine

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