VJ doesn't prefer packed lunches. He loves hot & fresh food and so, comes home everyday (well, almost) for lunch. If for some reasons he couldn't make it to home, his next best place would be an Indian restaurant near his office and his default choice would be "kati rolls", for their kati rolls are big & filling, loaded with paneer & other veggies.
One day, he bought me "kati rolls" from the same restaurant and that's how I got introduced to it. What I love about their Kati rolls is the juicy center. Paneer & yogurt (or cream, I do not know) is packed so well with other veggies that the wrap is big & solid without any leaks and when you bite into it, is just burst of flavors!
This recipe is totally my take on "Kati rolls". Though I borrowed the idea of paneer tikka for the rolls from here, adding in cilantro chutney and the onion-carrot salad is totally my idea. These home-made kati rolls is sure a winner, I must say, for me & VJ absolutely loved it! These rolls are great for lunch box / picnic too.
Eventhough Kati rolls looks like lot of work, they are actually very easy provided you plan it a little ahead and this is how I approached it.,
- Knead the dough and set it aside to rest.
- Make the marinade, add paneer and let it sit in the refrigerator.
- Make the salad, cilantro chutney and store them in the refrigerator.
- Come back to the dough and make the roti's & cook them.
- Make the paneer stuffing.
- Make the paneer stuffing.
- Just before eating, make the rolls, toast them and enjoy!!
Basic Info
Prep time - 30 mins - 1 hr
Cook time - 1 hr
Serves - 12 rolls
Ingredients
Cilantro chutney
Recipe here
For the Salad
Onion - 1 no
Carrot - 1 no
Lime juice - 1 tsp or to taste
Salt & pepper - to taste
Whole wheat flour - 2.5 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1/4 cup (approx)
Salt - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Paneer tikka
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Paneer - 14 oz (chopped into half inch cubes)
Bell pepper - 1 no
Tomatoes - 2 nos
Paneer tikka Marinade
Yogurt - 1/3 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Tandoori masala - 3/4 tsp
Kasoori methi - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Mozzarella cheese - 1/4 cup (to glue the )
Method
For the Salad
Chop onion into very thin slices. Cut the two ends of the carrot, peel the skin and grate it. Add salt, pepper & lime juice to your taste and mix well. Leave it in the refrigerator for atleast 30 mins.
For the base
Take a large bowl, mix whole wheat flour & salt until evenly combined. Add 1 cup of milk and knead it into the dough. Add water 1/8th of a cup at a time and knead until the dough comes together. Then, transfer the dough onto the countertop and knead for 15-20 mins until stiff & soft. Brush the ball of dough with a tsp of ghee and keep it covered for 30-45 mins.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each ball into a thin roti of about 8 inches. Use a griddle and cook each roti lightly on both the sides. Keep them aside until use.
Paneer Tikka
Mix all the ingredients under "Paneer tikka Marinade" until well combined. To this, add the paneer pieces and mix well until the marinade coats all the paneer. Leave it in the refrigerator for atleast 30 mins.
Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. To this, add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add chopped capsicum squares and cook until soft but crisp. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and cook until tomatoes are soft & cooked. Next, add marinated paneer (along with yogurt) and saute briefly until paneer is soft. Remove from heat and set it aside until use.
How to make the rolls
Place a roti on the working space. Take a tsp of cilantro chutney, and spread it well.
Take 1-2 tsp of onion-carrot and spread it in the lower half of roti. Next, Add about 1/4 cup of paneer tikka on the lower half.
Fold both the sides of the roti and roll it from the bottom (carefully tucking all the contents inside).
Finally, take a tsp of grated mozzarella cheese and sprinkle inside the open ends. Heat a griddle, and when hot, place the roti with open end facing downwards.
Wait until the cheese melts to keep the open end sealed & covered. Toast the kati roll until all the sides are browned & crispy.
Serve hot to enjoy the crispy outer with soft & juicy vegetables inside.
Note:
- There are possibilities that the onion-carrot salad (or) the paneer tikka leaves out water as it rests, in which case, squeeze out the excess water when filling the kati roll.
- You can use any kind of cheese (in place of mozzarella) to seal the edges.
- You can also add chopped (fresh) cucumber in the salad along with other veggies. Grated beets, shredded cabbage are good options too!
- Do not over cook paneer as it will turn rubbery. Cook just until soft and remove from heat.
- You can also use any kind of chutney (like mint chutney / tomato chutney etc) for the base (or) skip it altogether.
- Salad too is optional, but it definitely adds a freshness factor to the rolls.
- Initially when cooking roti's, remove them from heat before they turns crisp / puffs up; for handling the rotis will be difficult later when rolling.
- For vegan options, you could replace ghee with oil & paneer with tofu and try!
- Initially when cooking roti's, remove them from heat before they turns crisp / puffs up; for handling the rotis will be difficult later when rolling.
- For vegan options, you could replace ghee with oil & paneer with tofu and try!