Overview
- Signature Dishes: Kathi roll
- Opening Times & Days: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, daily
- Address: 23/24, Hogg Street, New Market, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Contact: N/A
- Reservation: No
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Summary
Perhaps the most popular street food in Kolkata, Kolkata Kathi Rolls originated here but have become a favourite of people all over the world. Kathi rolls can be had as a snack; they also make for a great lunch or dinner option. So, next time you’re in Kolkata, head out for some Kolkata kathi rolls for a true culinary experience.
Kolkata Kathi Rolls
Perhaps the most popular street food in Kolkata, Kolkata Kathi Rolls originated here but have become a favourite of people all over the world. Its original form was a kathi (stick) kebab enclosed in a paratha, but over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of Kathi Roll. Today, pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kathi roll.
The Kati Roll is said to have started its life from the Nizam Restaurant in Kolkata, a popular eatery founded in 1932 that sold kebabs and parathas and other Mughlai dishes in the heart of Kolkata. There are many stories about how exactly the roll got started. Some centre around hurried office commuters who wanted something quick and portable, some mention British babus who were too fastidious to touch the kabab. Nizam enjoyed a virtual monopoly of this method of serving a kabab for decades, but it eventually became commonplace in Kolkata and today you can find shops selling Kolkata kathi rolls any and everywhere.
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Traditionally, a Kathi Roll is a Kati Kebab wrapped in a layered paratha. The paratha is typically dough that is flattened with a rolling pin and partly fried in oil on a tawa (hot iron plate). Kati Kebabs are chicken or mutton (lamb) chunks marinated in spices and cooked on skewers (the “kati”) over coals in a sigri. When the roll is being prepared, these are taken off the skewers and tossed with onions, chillies and sauces in the tawa, before being put in a thin strip in the centre of the paratha. At this stage, most roll vendors will add various kinds of sauces, a dash of vinegar, a squeeze of lime, sometimes a shake of chaat masala and maybe some julienned carrots; sliced red onions are a must. The whole thing is then rolled up in paper and served.
The fillings range from egg, paneer or mixed vegetables to chicken, mutton or even beef. You can get a combination of egg and chicken or even double chicken if you want a lot of meat in your kathi roll.
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Of course, Nizam Restaurant is the best place to try some original Kolkata Kathi Rolls since it originated here. They still make some of the best kathi rolls in town. Alternatively, there are a couple of shops on Park Street that do a huge turnover of kathi rolls any time of the day. Try the shop at Karnani Mansion or the one next to Apeejay House for delicious Kolkata kathi rolls.
Kathi rolls can be had as a snack; they also make for a great lunch or dinner option. So, next time you’re in Kolkata, head out for some Kolkata kathi rolls for a true culinary experience.
