Nothing makes my heart sing like ma’s chicken Kathi Roll. During my school days, my mum would pack me a chicken Kathi roll for lunch, and I had to fight with my friends over it. Yes, it was that DELICIOUS! After coming here, chicken Kathi roll stayed with me for office lunches and a picnic.
Summer and a picnic goes hand in hand for me.
Whenever we go out for a picnic (2-3 times over summer), we bring a few chicken Kathi rolls with us. They are easy to pack and perfect for eating outdoors. However, the taste of chicken Kathi roll entirely depends on the quality of the chicken. Truth be told, I had a hard time finding quality chicken (that tastes close to the ones we get back in India) around me. I found a local grocer, but my parents never liked the taste of those.
@pasturebird sent me their dark meat pack (as I only eat dark meat), and we are in LOVE with the taste. It tastes exactly like the chicken we get back in India. My parents wondered about the taste, so I looked into their website – Their chickens live outside in their natural habitat (on grass, in the fresh air and sunshine with plenty of space to roam and forage), and that’s why it tastes so GOOD!
We will be ordering our monthly shares of poultry from Pasturebird. #thecleanchicken
Kathi Roll Recipe
Flat Bread
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Water
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until combined. Add the ghee and rub evenly into flour, about 3-4 minutes. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in 1 cup (240ml) of warm water. Roughly combine the flour and water with your fingers until just brought together, about 1 minute. Next, knead the dough until it forms a sticky ball, about 5 minutes. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with a moist towel. Set aside to rest at room temperature for at least 6-7 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- After the dough has rested well, divide it into 8 equal portions. Work with one portion of dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered with a moist towel while not handling.
- On a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, roll each coiled dough ball into a circle about 8-10 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Lightly dust the paratha, rolling pin, and counter with flour as needed to prevent sticking, dusting off any excess flour at the end. Rotate the paratha after each roll to maintain an even shape. Cook the rolled out parathas right away, or store between layers of parchment and wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Preheat a heavy gauge 10- or 12-inch skillet same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and cook 1 paratha at a time until golden brown and crispy, about 1 minute per side. Once cooked through, scrunch the paratha to release any built-up steam. Use the paratha right away or hold warm wrapped in a kitchen towel and in a 250°F (121°C) oven for up to 1 hour.
I have borrowed the procedure text from Paratha (Flaky South Asian Flatbread) Recipe.
(You can skip this step by using store-bought coconut cassava tortilla from Siete Foods, Mission flour tortilla, or Indian frozen Paratha. Mum is not very fond of bastardizing a classic food with store-bought alternatives, but I have tasted all three, and they work out OK for quick and easy lunches.)
Chicken
Mum recommends marinate the chicken in two phases. I have mixed everything and marinade once and it works out GREAT.
First Marinade (30 minutes)
- 1 pound boneless chicken thigh, cut into 2-inch square pieces
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
- Ground hot chile powder to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Second Marinade (1 hour minimum, but you can marinade upto 8 hours in refrigerator)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (preferrably shahi garam masala)
- 1 teaspoon chicken tandoori masala
- 1/2 teaspoon chat masala
- 1/4 cup thick plain greek yogurt (like siggis)
- 1 teaspoon crushed fenugreek leaves
- 1 tablespoon ghee (highly recommended for Pasture-bird chicken)
There is a few way you can cook this –
- Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, folding if the pieces are long and thin. Be sure not to cram the skewers. Place the kebabs on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spoon or brush the marinade all over the meat, coating well. Cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken kebabs until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
- We have used our oven broil (high temperature), and it takes roughly the same time.
- Transfer the skewers to a plate and let it cool down a bit. Take it out of the skewers and use it in the wrap.
Extras you need to make this wrap (I am attaching a stop motion below to see the steps)
- Maggi Hot & Sweet Tomato chilli sauce
- Chat Masala
- Black Rock Salt
- Thinly sliced onion, green pepper, green chile
- Lime
- Cilantro
Kathi Roll Step by step –
Chicken Malai Tikka
First marinade (30 minutes)
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- juice of 1 lemon
Second Marinade (1 hour minimum, but you can marinade upto 8 hours in refrigerator)
- ½ cup fresh cream
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ghee
There is a few way you can cook this –
- Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, folding if the pieces are long and thin. Be sure not to cram the skewers. Place the kebabs on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spoon or brush the marinade all over the meat, coating well. Cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken kebabs until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
- We have used our oven broil (high temperature), and it takes roughly the same time.
- Transfer the skewers to a plate and let it cool down a bit. Serve the skewers with fresh cilantro-mint chutney.
Cilantro Mint Chutney
- 1 bunch cilantro (except roots)
- 1 bunch mint (just leaves)
- 2 green chile
- ½ inch ginger
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- Salt and black salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon water, depending on the consistency you prefer.
- Blend all ingredients in food processor until relatively smooth. Adjust the water content. Use more if you prefer this chutney to be on the runny side.
- Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
- This chutney will keep 4 days in the fridge.
This post is sponsored by Pasture Bird.
