As a preteen, I spent 2 years in Mumbai, Santa Cruz West to be precise with my aunty, and right at the end of our road, there was a tiny dhaba near the railway station, which served the best hands down.


These were not treats that my aunty indulged me in, and I would look forward to when my Dad came to visit, I have had some of the best Frankies on the streets of Mumbai with my Dad, way after midnight whilst late night shopping.

In other parts of India, they are called Kati rolls, but nothing compares to a Mumbai Frankie. Chicken Frankie is a popular grab-n-go Indian street-food, almost like Indian Burrito, traditionally made with succulent juicy kababs, encased in a flaky paratha coated with egg with a spicy chutney, with crunchy toppings and wrapped in foil.

Over the years, the kabab Frankie has evolved into countless vegetarian varieties, using curried smashed potatoes, chickpeas, cauliflower, paneer onions and of course, the Cilantro Chutney, I don’t use egg as my base.

What I love the most about Frankie’s is that you are limited only by the contents of your refrigerator or maybe your lack of imagination. The paratha is an empty canvas to add your favorite veggie toppings or use up leftovers from mixed veggie curries, or veggies with pav bhaji masala, leftover potato curry, paneer jalfrezi, and leftover rajma (kidney beans) or chole (chickpeas), somehow they all work together to create a balance of flavors.

They are the perfect weeknight meals when you want to use up leftovers and or stuff in the kid’s lunch box when you run out of ideas, a tea party conversation starter for sure.

The Frankie stuffing arena is so big, you can go down the Frankie rabbit hole and never come out. So if this is your first time making a Frankie I have simplified things here a bit.

There are several components to get the Frankie right:

COMPONENTS OF A FRANKIE

1. The Base: Frozen Paratha (I use Kawan Plain Paratha) or homemade paratha or Tortillas
   
2. The Spice: Green Chutney- essential street food condiment (the glue that holds everything together- especially the paneer and chicken).
   
3. The Spread: Curried Mashed Potatoes or Tawa fried Paneer/BBQ Chicken/Tawa Chicken/Tawa Veggies.
   
4. The Crunch: Sliced onions (either pickled or raw) fresh cilantro or baby spinach; julienned carrots/bell peppers/sliced cucumbers.
   

• Cook the paratha or flour tortilla: If making frozen Indian paratha, heat a pan on medium heat and cook according to package instructions for about 4-5 minutes. If using a flour tortilla, place the tortilla in the heated pan and lightly spray with cooking spray. Cook for about 3 – 4 minutes until lightly crisped.
  

• If using egg base – then season 1 egg and whisk, then pour into a lightly greased pan, as it sets, place the paratha or tortilla on top of it and then, flip and cook for 30 seconds, or until the egg sticks to the paratha/tortilla and transfer to a cutting board.
  

• Fillings: Spread 1 tablespoon of green chutney on the cooked paratha/tortilla and add about 4 pieces/1/2 cup of chicken across the middle
  

• Garnish: with sliced onions and cilantro/julienned carrots or grated cheese.
  

• Roll: the paratha or tortilla roll both sides up to the middle overlapping them if possible and insert a toothpick to secure if needed. Wrap in foil halfway or parchment paper.
  
  
  What other variations of Frankie’s can I make?
  
• Paneer Tikka Frankie: Grilled paneer with tikka masala + Green Chutney : Chopped Red Onions + bell pepper slices +chaat Masala
  
• Kabab Frankie: Paratha + Egg + Green Chutney + Seekh Kabab
  
• Aloo Tikki Frankie: Paratha + Egg + Spicy Potato Patties + Green Chutney + Tamarind Chutney + Ketchup
  
• Chole/Chana Masala Frankie: Paratha + Egg + leftover Chana Masala + Chopped Red Onions+Cheese