Kati roll: Difference between revisions

| name = Kati roll

<!--| native = কাটি রোল -->| image = Kolkata Rolls.jpg

| creator course =

| calories other =

A '''kati roll''' (sometimes spelt '''kathi roll'''; {{lang-bn|কাঠি রোল}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shabdkosh.com/bn/translate?e=kathi&l=bn|title=kathi - Meaning in Bengali - kathi in Bengali - Shabdkosh {{!}} অভিধান : English Bengali Dictionary and Translation|last=Shabdkosh.com|website=www.shabdkosh.com|access-date=2016-05-01}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>) is a street-food dish originating from [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], India.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Banerji |first1=Urvija |title=The Kati Roll Can Be Traced Back to One Kolkata Restaurant |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-kati-roll-can-be-traced-back-to-one-kolkata-restaurant |access-date=21 July 2024 |date=3 May 2016}}</ref> In its original form, it is a [[skewer]]-roasted [[kebab]] [[wrap (sandwich)|wrap]]ped in a [[paratha]] bread, although over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of ''kati roll''. Today, mostly any wrap containing a filling enfolded in an Indian flatbread ([[roti]]) is called a ''kati roll''. In native Bengali, the word Kati{{Transliteration|bn|kati}} roughly translates to "Stick"'stick', referring to how they were originally made. In Bengal though, the delicacy is simply known as "''roll"''. Kati Rollsrolls normally contain coriander chutney, egg, and chicken but the types may vary. Internationally, specifically in parts of Canada and the United States, the kathi roll has become a popular [[fast food]] found in Indian take-out restaurants.

The ''kati roll'' is said to have started its life in the Nizam Restaurant in [[Kolkata]], a popular eatery founded in 1932.<ref name="theculturetrip"/><ref name="Moneycontrol"/> There are many stories about how exactly the roll got started.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sanghvi |first1=Vir |author1-link=Vir Sanghvi |title=Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi: Roll redemption |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/rude-food-by-vir-sanghvi-roll-redemption/story-WLkxCkUTD0BSDcINWNAALI.html |access-date=22 October 2022 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=12 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Some suggest that hurried office commuters wanted something quick and portable to eat,; some mention British [[Babu (title)|babus]] who were too fastidious to touchmake kabab.<ref name="itinari">{{cite news |last1=Majumder |first1=Hitaishi |title=Nizam's Restaurant: the kababstory of the Kolkata kathi roll |url=https://www.itinari.com/nizam-s-restaurant-the-story-of-the-kolkata-kathi-roll-bgaw |access-date=22 October 2022 |work=itinari |date=1 October 2019 |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref name="theculturetrip">{{cite news |last1=Nambiar |first1=Sridevi |title=How The Famous Kathi Roll Originated At Kolkata's Nizam's Restaurant |url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/how-the-famous-kathi-roll-originated-at-kolkatas-nizams-restaurant/ |access-date=22 October 2022 |work=Culture Trip |date=3 January 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Kathiroll.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Kati roll served in [[Mumbai]], India.]]

The ''kati'' part of the name came later. Like everyone else in India, Nizam's used iron skewers to make their kababs; they were easy to maintain and lasted a lifetime. However, as Nizam's popularity grew, these long heavy iron skewers became problematic;, as far more was required than could be handled.{{Clarify|date=December 2022}} In 1964, Nizam moved to bamboo skewers that were lightweight and available in large numbers. These skewers are referred to in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] as ''{{Transliteration|bn|kati''}} or 'stick', and the names ''kati kabab'' and ''kati roll'' soon stuck. The name eventually became synonymous with any kind of paratha rolled with stuffing (even when neither ''kati'' nor ''kabab'' was involved) such as the egg roll or the potato roll, and later even for other breads such as [[naan]] or [[Rumali roti|roomali]].<ref name="Moneycontrol">{{cite news |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Kamalika |title=Kolkata-style kathi roll: The origin story, competition, and present-day avatar |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/lifestyle-trends/kolkata-style-kathi-roll-the-origin-story-competition-and-present-day-avatar-8874361.html |access-date=22 October 2022 |work=[[Moneycontrol]] |date=July 25, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In [[West Bengal]], shops serving rolls are mostly known as ‘Roll''Roll-er-dokaan’dokaan'' and people use ‘roll’''roll'' to refer to a kati roll. Chicken roll and egg roll are two of the most common variants of ''kati roll''.

Kati kababs were originally beef, and now have variations with chicken or mutton (lamb) chunks, marinated in spices and cooked on skewers (the "''kati"'') over coals in a [[Sigri (stove)|sigri]]. 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 of [[chaat 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.