Rolls of India: Frankie Recipe

Imagine a sunset on the streets of a city in India. You just finished a long day of shopping. You're hankering for a snack and spot a small roadside stall selling street food and rolls. You stop by the stall and see the vast variety of options available on the menu. You decide to order a frankie and place your order. You see the vendor mixing several spices and seasonings, heating a flatbread on his makeshift griddle, laying the ingredients on top of each other, and expertly wrapping it in a roll. You grab it, and feeling famished, take a huge bite. A melange of flavors bursts on your tongue; sweet, savory, spicy, tangy. That is what a frankie is. It is an amalgamation of signature Indian flavors in the most small, convenient, and delicious way.

The Frankie was invented in Bombay by Amarjit Singh Tibb (Yes, of Tibbs Frankies!) in 1967. He went on a trip to Beirut and came back inspired. He created an Indian version of the Lebanese pita roll for patrons of his restaurant who wanted something tasty on the go. Amarjit Singh Tibb named his dish the ‘Frankie’, as a tribute to the famous West Indies cricketer Frank Worell, and not after the frankfurter, according to common lore. This dish was an inspired creation, and the original saucy egg and mutton roll was a huge hit with the entire city. The term ‘frankie’ has since expanded to cover several variations, like chicken frankie, egg frankie, and the most famous, veg frankie, all collectively classified under the umbrella term Bombay Frankie

In this article, we are going to explore how to make a classic veg frankie recipe, which is a variation of the original Bombay frankie recipe. We are also going to explore some recipes lovingly created by our Rotimatic users, who put a modern twist on this delicious street food, which has made its way into our hearts and our homes.

This recipe below consists of a vegetarian frankie recipe, which is made with aloo tikki, mint chutney, homemade rotis, and a filling of fresh onions and carrots. To save time, you can also switch out aloo tikkis with an aloo mash mixture if you wish to avoid frying altogether. Additionally, to make your frankie-making process simpler and easier, you can even use your Rotimatic to make the rotis for you while you prepare the filling. Not only will this save time when the pangs of hunger are about to start, but the fully automated process from flour to flatbread will give you so much ease of work and reduce effort! But more about that later in the article.

• If you are running on a tight schedule and do not have the time to prepare the whole recipe, we would recommend skipping out on frying the tikkis and just using the spiced aloo mixture as the main filling instead. This also works if you are looking for a healthy frankie recipe to avoid fried food but still want a tasty treat. 
• The frankie stuffing can vary as per your choice. You can use stir-fried veggies, paneer, chicken, mutton, or even noodles as your stuffing! The world is your oyster and the fusion options are endless when it comes to frankies.
• You can add your choice of chutneys or sauces, depending on the kind of spice and flavor you want.
• Always prep the roti dough while the potatoes are boiling to save prep time. You can alternatively use fully automated machines like the Rotimatic to help you get rid of that workload and cook faster.

There is no set standard way in which you can make frankies. Rotimatic users have ingeniously used their Rotimatic to make rotis for the frankie base and give them their unique twist. Listed below are two wonderful frankie recipes by Honey Malhotra and Rehana Thaha, posted on the Rotimatic Owners' Facebook page. 

Chicken Frankie Recipe with Rotimatic by Rehana Thaha

1. For the Marinade

   Ingredients:

   1. Chicken – 1 pound (boneless)
   2. Black pepper powder – 1 tbsp
   3. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
   4. Lemon juice 2 tsp
   5. Salt to taste
   6. Oil – 2 tsp

   
   Method:

   1. Marinate the chicken in small pieces with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and turmeric powder, and keep it aside for an hour.
   2. Turn on IP, sauté mode when it’s hot, add oil, and then add the marinated chicken. Sauté well and close the lid and cancel sauté.
   3. Select pressure cook and cook for 6 minutes. Realease the pressure after 10 minutes, open the lid, remove the extra water, and sauté until it’s dry. Remove chickenRemove from chicken from the pot and keep it aside.
      
      

2. Making the Filling
   

   Ingredients:

   1. Onion – 1, chopped
   2. Crushed ginger, garlic – 1 tbs
   3. Tomato – 1, chopped
   4. Green capsicum- 1/2 chopped
   5. Yellow capsicum- 1/2 chopped
   6. Red chilli powder – 1/2tsp
   7. Paprika -1/2 tsp
   8. Coriander powder – ½ tsp
   9. Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
   10. Cumin powder – ¼ tsp
   11. Coriander leaves – 2 tbs
   12. Salt - to taste
   13. Lemon juice 1 tsp
   14. Oil – 2 tbs

   
   Method:
   

   1. Turn on the Instant Pot, heat oil, add the chopped onion and salt, and sauté until soft. To this add crushed ginger – garlic and sauté till the raw smell disappears. Add chopped capsicum and sauté well.
   2. Add the chopped tomato to this and sauté till soft. Add all the spice powder and sauté till oil appears on top. Add the cooked chicken to this and cook for another few more minutes. Drizzle 1 tsp of the lemon juice and check salt and other spices. Turn off the IP.
   3. Garnish with coriander leaves. Keep it aside.
      
      

3. For Mint Chutney
   

   Ingredients:

   1. 1 tsp grated garlic
   2. 1 tsp grated ginger
   3. 2 green chillies
   4. Salt to taste
   5. 1 cup mint leaves
   6. 1 cup coriander leaves
   7. 4 tbsp yogurt

   
   Method:

   1. Take the curd in a bowl and beat it with a whisk till smooth, add salt.
   2. Grind the mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, onion, and green chili with a little water to a smooth paste.
   3. Mix the freshly ground green chutney with the yogurt. blend both of these till they mix properly.
   4. Serve the mint chutney with any snacks or starter.
      
      

4. Other Ingredients for the Roll
   

   1. Chapati/roti/ tortilla
   2. Onion – 1, chopped
   3. Lemon juice 1 tsp
   4. Chopped raw vegetables of your choice (sliced carrots, cabbage)

Chicken Frankie: Method

1. Make roti in Rotimatic, thickness 2, roast 2, and oil 2.
2. Take a roti, place a big spoonful of chicken masala filling, chopped raw vegetables of your choice, and finally mint chutney. Roll it and serve hot or cold.
3. Repeat the same procedure to make more chicken frankie/kathi rolls.

Note: you can substitute chicken with paneer and make paneer kathi roll

Bombay Chicken Frankie by Honey Dawra Malhotra

Frankie Recipe:

1. Roti setting in Rotimatic: thickness-1, roast level-1, oil-1
2. Mix all the dry ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt.
3. Heat oil in a kadai. Add onion and saute; for two minutes. Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Add the spices coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, tandoori masala, and salt as per taste. Add small cubed chicken and cook till the chicken is half done. Add tomatoes and a little water if required and cook till dry. Keep aside.
4. Start making rotis using Rotimatic. Meanwhile, whisk some eggs well. Pour a little oil into a hot pan and then around 1/2 cup of whisked eggs.
5. Place the roti over the egg and let it set until the egg is cooked lightly. Turn over the egg roti and let the underside get cooked.
6. Place the roti egg side up on a serving plate.
7. Place some chopped onions over it. Add some chicken mixture over it.
8. Sprinkle cilantro. Drizzle some chili vinegar and green chutney/ red hot sauce.
9. Roll the frankie and serve hot immediately.

Looking back, the frankie is the perfect representation of how Indian cuisine has evolved and entered a new era. Street food has always been a huge part of our culture, and the frankie is the food of the modern Indian. The frankie recipe is a step away from traditional curries, gravies, and hand-ground masalas, and is quick, tasty, savvy, and delicious! We may eat several rolls all over the world, but the warmth and nostalgic perfection of a frankie is something that has not altered since the 1960s. Whether you’d like a traditional veg frankie recipe, or a more conventional chicken or mutton Bombay frankie recipe, this article has everything you need.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is Frankie made of?

   Frankie is a wrap made with various stuffings and served as a street food snack in various parts of India. It originated in Bombay in 1967 where it consisted of a paratha, a layer of egg, and mutton curry. A veg frankie recipe usually includes assorted toppings of veggie stir fry, legumes, paneer, cheese, potato tikki, veg cutlet, or lentils kabab. You can also add any other leftover vegetable as a filling if making it at home.
   
   

2. What is the difference between a Kathi roll and a Frankie?

   Kathi roll is different from a frankie as it originated in Kolkata, while the frankie originated in Bombay. Additionally, a veg kathi roll has a stuffing of assorted veggies, cheese, meat, paneer, soya, and a range of spices, and on the other hand, frankie has a vegetable cutlet that is made of potatoes or cottage cheese and is seasoned with a combination of sauces. Both have several similarities with slight variations in cooking styles and ingredients. You can check out

   Paneer Kathi Roll AKA Paneer Frankie by Richa Pandharikar on our Facebook Rotimatic Users page for a great recipe!