Kathi Roll

A kathi roll is grilled, spiced meat wrapped inside a flaky paratha that's been fried together with a beaten egg cracked straight onto it. It's Kolkata's skewer-born wrap — the name comes from kathi, the skewer the meat originally grilled and was served on — and it grew into its own wrapped format specifically because it made a skewer of grilled meat easier to eat on the move, without needing a plate or cutlery.

What it really is

Marinated meat — chicken or mutton kebab most commonly — grills over high heat until charred at the edges, while separately a layered paratha fries in a pan with a beaten egg cracked directly onto it, the egg setting into the bread itself rather than staying as a separate layer. The grilled meat, along with raw onion, green chilli and a squeeze of lime, rolls up tightly inside that egg-fried paratha, and the whole thing wraps in paper for eating by hand.

The egg cooked into the paratha, not scrambled separately, is a specifically Kolkata touch. Frying the egg directly onto the flatbread as it cooks binds a thin, savoury layer right into the bread itself — skip that step and the result reads as a generic kebab wrap rather than a proper kathi roll.

How it's served

• Rolled tight in paper, eaten by hand — a street-food staple, not a sit-down dish.
• With raw onion, green chilli and lime rolled inside.
• As a street food snack or quick meal, sold from dedicated stalls at any hour.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the wheat and the egg.
• Say whether chicken or mutton is used, since both are common but different orders.
• Note if a vegetarian version, built on paneer or vegetables in place of the meat, is available.