Kathi (also known as Kati) roll is one of India’s most popular street foods. Kathi or Kati means stick. Traditionally, various types of meat and/or vegetables were served on a skewer, hence the word “kathi”. Nowadays, these are also known as “Indian burritos”. The kathi roll consists of various fillings (meat, vegetables, paneer aka Indian cottage chees, eggs, etc.) wrapped in a layered paratha, a type of Indian flatbread. My version is obviously vegetarian, so the filing consists of vegetables and paneer. Some people also call these frankies. There are literally hundreds of recipes out there. I generally modify existing recipes and create my own, simple version that requires minimal prep time, but this one is ALL on me. And I am pretty proud of it, if I say so myself. Kathi rolls have also taken over New York by storm in the last 2 decades. My husband is a die hard fan of these from New York and let me tell you – he approves this recipe so give it a try! It can make a delicious, quick, vegetarian meal for a weeknight.

Ingredients

• 1 large and 1 small onion (this is what I had handy; 2 medium sized onions would do just fine) FOR PARATHA filling
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced (for garnishing and placing on top of filling inside paratha; OPTIONAL)
• 2 bell peppers
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 zucchini
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp shahi paneer masala (available at Indian grocery stores)
• 3 tsp ketchup
• 2 tsp Maggie sauce (found in Indian grocery store. Feel free to experiment and use any kind of hot sauce you may have in the pantry)
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt to taste
• Paneer – 8 oz., cubed
  • Indian cottage cheese. Can be made at home, but I usually use store bought paneer from Indian grocery stores, Whole foods or Costco. Any brand works fine. Found in the freezer.
  • TIP: take this out of freezer and place in refrigerator overnight for use next day. This will allow you to easily cut these into cubes.
• Frozen Kawan Paratha (found in any Indian grocery store)
• Green chutney (I used home made version, but in order to truly make this a quick meal, you can also buy this from Indian grocery store. Look for “Coriander chutney”.)
• Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• Air fry paneer
  • Lightly spray paneer cubes with cooking spray. Place on a wire basket. Air fry at 350 degree F for 15 min.
• Make the filling
  • Heat 2 TBSP of oil in a pan. Add garlic, onions, bell peppers and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add air fried paneer and zucchini and mix well. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Now add tomatoes, all the seasoning and sauces. Mix well. Taste and add Salt to adjust. Give it a good stir for 1-2 min and and garnish with cilantro.
• Cook the Parathas – Heat a non-stick griddle pan. Remove the kawan paratha from the plastic wrapping and place on the griddle. Cook on medium high heat for about to 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side or until both sides are golden brown, pressing gently with a spatula.
• Assemble Kathi Roll – Spread 2 teaspoons of chutney on cooked paratha. Add 2 to 3 spoonfuls of the Kathi roll filling in the middle. Drizzle hot sauce if you like spicy food. Add few sliced onions and cilantro on top. Roll the sides up to the middle. If needed, use small tooth picks to hold them together.