A crisp but delicate maida paratha, nearly laccha-esque in its flaky layers, fried in entrance of you on a large tawa in copious oil. A crushed egg is cracked and unfold on the pan, and the paratha is laid on prime to absorb the eggy richness. As soon as cooked, it’s flipped—egg-side up—and topped with succulent, charcoal-grilled kebabs, seasoned good. A scatter of sliced onions, inexperienced chillies, and a squeeze of lime later, it’s rolled up and wrapped in wax paper. You’re handed the well-known Calcutta kathi roll: scorching, dripping, and able to eat with out soiling your fingers, simply peel the paper as you go. The primary quick meals of the town. Adopted by many pretenders throughout the nation.
Nizam’s, a tiny store subsequent to Calcutta’s iconic New Market is the birthplace of the kathi roll. The store was based by Reza Hassan Saheb in 1932 and named after Sheikh Reza’s son, Nizamuddin, and used to promote kebabs and parathas individually. Kebabs had been frequent in Calcutta on the time, however the Nizam’s kebabs, grilled on iron skewers, had been extremely well-liked amongst locals and British expatriates. The story goes that British officers working close by in Dalhousie Sq. would cease by for a fast chunk however discovered it messy to eat kebabs by hand. That’s when the roll was born – to make it simpler to eat the kebabs.
Bamboo sticks changed iron skewers in 1964, just because they had been cheaper and simpler to handle. The Bengali phrase for stick is “kathi,” and that’s how the “kathi roll” acquired its identify.
The kebabs at Nizam are skewered on these bamboo sticks over a charcoal grill and divided neatly into beef, mutton, rooster, and kheeri (udders), a specialty of the home. At one level, Nizam’s stopped promoting beef rolls, however they’re again on the menu, the final time I checked. The mutton and beef are often tenderised with inexperienced papaya, and also you do get a style of it, however the secret marinade of the kebabs stays a secret – which explains why pretenders exterior Calcutta, even the Nizam’s franchisee retailers, can by no means replicate the style.
These kebabs aren’t malai kebabs coated in cream and cheese, or the orange tandoori tikkas. These are darkish brown kebabs, untouched by meals colouring. And whereas Nizam’s is the purist roll, flavoured solely with some onions, inexperienced chilis and lime, different roll outlets like Kusum’s on Park Road will add some sauces – the Sing Cheung inexperienced or orange chili sauce or perhaps a sprint of ketchup to their rolls when you ask them to.
I additionally need to make a particular point out of Nizam’s alu rolls. Nizam’s alu roll—mashed spiced potatoes wrapped in the identical flaky paratha, with or with out egg—is a hidden gem. It’s so good you may even skip the meat.
I’ve had rolls in different cities as effectively, just like the Frankie in Bombay once I was in faculty –– a monstrosity I used to be not ready for. Nobody warned me that the paratha was wrapped round rooster or meat in a scorching gravy, which spurted out as you bit into the roll. It was horrible. Second solely to Fortunate’s Biryani, which is all we might afford within the early days of our skilled life. The North Indian rumali roti roll isn’t too dangerous, although, and naturally is a far more healthy choice to the maida paratha of the kathi roll. Rooster tikkas or seekh kebabs are wrapped in rumali roti and served with inexperienced coriander and chili chutney. Whereas I fairly like these, they aren’t as sturdy as kathi rolls, and the rumali roti begins disintegrating when you go away it for quite a lot of minutes. Nevertheless it’s a worthy effort by the North.
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Finally, regardless of the ldl cholesterol and coronary heart issues which could outcome from consuming a number of kathi rolls, I might strongly advocate hotfooting it to Calcutta to savour the Actual McCoy. If you happen to can’t get to Nizam’s, go to one of many roll outlets on Park Road or to Kathi’s in Ballygunge. Ask them so as to add some further chilis and a smidgen of chili sauce. And don’t draw back from asking for a single egg, double rooster, or mutton roll. You may at all times chase this with a Digene or a shot of Carmozyme, each of that are consumed as frequently as kathi rolls are in Calcutta. And thank the jewel of the East for the primary true quick meals of India.
Subsequent week, I’ll be writing about one other wrap – the paan in all its intricacies.
