Monday, May 16, 2011

Kati/Kathi or Egg Rolls

After 34 years of communist rule in West Bengal, Tiranmool Congress won the recent elections. Of course, I will not be covering all of the news here, but with so much talk about Bengal, when we called home (parents) last night, and recently connecting with a long lost Bengali friend of mine, I suddenly felt closer to that place.

2011_05_16

At one point in my life, I was talking with a lot more people from West Bengal than anywhere else. They were classmates in college, and sometimes hostel mates, but I soaked up a lot of their stories and culture from Calcutta - the street food, Durga Pooja, Bhang, the food in general, game of cards and so on and so forth. One of my friend’s Dad wrote this book ‘Paye paye prithvi’ which was written in Bengali, and we would always talk about translating it to English. I have heard that story page to page about her father’s life in Europe. How he travelled by feet from Italy to Denmark in the 1960’s I think.

Kati Rolls

In all this, being away from home, and living in hostels, food is remembered by all of us most vividly. As we suffered with badly cooked rice, roti or curry we reminisced about our favorite foods back home. Another friend’s eyes would light up every time she was back from her vacation in Calcutta. She would talk about street food, ogling guys, wearing the latest trend, and eating street food like nobody’s business. If someone knew to romanticize a place she knew it best. That is how I first heard about egg rolls. I learned to make it much later.


Kati Rolls

When I was working in Hyderabad, and living in a flat with my cousins, our neighbors happened to be a newly married Bengali couple. Of course, I got on with them famously! I was excited to share everything I know about Calcutta with my new friends. I think secretly the lady of the house encouraged me to talk half- baked information because she was away from her mother for the first time and obviously missing her hometown. When her husband traveled, we would go out on walks and share stories. By then, I was cooking quite regularly and learned to make kitchidi, potato bajji, kheer, etc. from this friend. She is the one who also taught me egg rolls. Every time we made this at home, she would keep telling me it could never be as good as the ones they brought from the street vendor. But of course, I never wrote down any of her recipes, but I would watch her cook and learn. Here is what she taught me and you will need to know how to make rotis or buy frozen parathas to make this.

Kati Rolls
Rotis/ Parathas – 2
Eggs - 2
Onions - ¼ thinly sliced
Green Chilies - 1 chopped
Cucumber - 1 peeled, seeded and finely chopped
Lemon/vinegar – a little for taste
Tomato Ketchup
Salt
Oil – 1 tbspn
Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Beat 1 egg and pour in. Reduce the flame or heat to medium low.
2. Once the egg starts cooking, and is still wet on top place a cooked roti or chapatti over it. Continue cooking till egg is not runny. To test, I gently press a pan cake flipper over the roti and look if the egg is runny. Do the same with the remaining roti and eggs.
Filling:
1. In a bowl mix together onions, chilies and cucumber. Add a sqeeze of lime or a little vinegar and salt for taste.
2. Sqeeze a line of tomato ketchup on the roti with the egg side up. .
3. Add a spoon or two of the filling and roll
4. Using butter paper or foil, wrap it and then you can enjoy them hand held. The tomato ketchup and cucumber will make it soggy so it is recommended to eat them as they are made.

Contributor: Sunitha

28 comments:

  1. Adipoli and amazing clicks chech!!

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  2. interesting words....
    yummy...dish.....
    I'm a happy follower of ur blog
    Do visit my blog if u get time
    Deepthi
    http://deepthidigvijay.blogspot.com/

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  3. my husband goes on and on about kati rolls from cal..i have tried the ones from the famous kati roll company here in london and if its anything like that..nay im not a big fan..roshan just doesnt understand why i don enjoy them that much :)
    that egg in it is a big attraction but i don know how 2 make roti and the frozen ones, im sure wont do justice..sigh!

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  4. Mouthwatering rolls...I love it...filling Bfast..I do add some avocado too..tastes heavenly...amazing amazing clicks dear...I m drooling...
    Sanyukta
    http://creativesanyukta.blogspot.com/

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  5. love katti roll...used to have dis in mumbai...usually after college...nice pics

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  6. Wow.. looks so tempting and perfect.. amazing presentation dear..

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  7. Egg rolls look super delicious ~ I can almost taste them and want to grab one :)
    US Masala

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  8. omg- i so love kathi rolls- ur pics make me wanna gra abite right from the kitchen !

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  9. Lovely clicks.. and delicious roll.. aake motham adipoli...

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  10. This is very tempting! I'd love to grab one!

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  11. this is super tempting! I just wish I had atleast ready made roti with me so that I could try one right now for b'fast.
    Renee

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  12. I had the chance of tasting these egg kathi rolls at Nilgiris last month and am so so in love with them. Urs looks so tempting and beutifully wrapped...Lovely Clicks too!

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  13. Omg, i never say no to this delicious egg rolls,prefectly done and beautifully wrapped..

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  14. Looks soso yumm. I think it is atleast 2 years ago i made them last for a blog event.

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  15. Rolls look absolutely lip smacking:)
    Reva

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  16. Wow mouthwatering..looks so tempting.

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  17. Rolls look super delicious. Me being a Bengali can declare that you have made delicious looking egg rolls that are hallmark of Kolkata. You simply are "the Great Chef".

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  18. Dear Sunitha
    How are you? AN Awesome roll I must say. Calcutta Kati rolls dont taste the same any more ( except few old shops downtown).
    I like the clicks too. Now I am tempted to make it after a long time.
    I am off blog these days. So havent posted any thing off late.
    Have a nice day

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  19. wow protein rolled in carbs - a one roll meal :) super post :)

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  20. Super post and this is in my dinner tonight :)

    http://vegetarianmedley.blogspot.com/

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  21. Love it....looks extremely yum....it's a complete meal in itself....

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  22. How wonderfully delicate these look. They would be so much fun for a dinner or cocktail party.

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  23. These look gorgeous despite their simplicity. Can't wait to try - only I STILL can't make roti right. Oh well. And street food is THE best.

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  24. Lovely finger food especially for kids.

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