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Chana Kathi Rolls

chana kathi rolls wrapped in parchment paper on white serving plate next to tomato and mint chutney
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★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

These Chana Kathi Rolls are a vegan take on the classic Indian street food. Warm and cozy chickpea curry wrapped in a crisp Indian flatbread to create the perfect on-the-go meal!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 teaspoon high-heat cooking oil (such as coconut, avocado, or vegetable oil)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced 
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1–4 green chilies (e.g. serrano peppers) minced*, more or less to taste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon amchoor powder (dried mango powder),  or substitute 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup (117 mL) full-fat coconut milk
  • ½ cup (117 mL) water, plus more if necessary
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups cooked)
  • 1 tomato, chopped (4.5oz/125g)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • 6 roti (paratha, chapati, or flour tortilla; see notes)
  • To serve: red onion*, minced chilies, cilantro, Aachar (Indian pickle), and/or chutney (e.g. tamarind or cilantro)

Instructions

  1. Aromatics: Heat the oil in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion and a pinch of salt; Cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and chili and stir for 1 minute.
  2. Spices: Stir in the garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric, and amchoor (if using lemon juice add at the end), salt, and pepper. Toast the spices for 15 to 30 seconds.
  3. Simmer: Add the chickpeas, tomato, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a simmer and let cook until the tomatoes have mostly disintegrated and the gravy has thickened, about 10 minutes. If the mixture starts to get too dry, add more water (or coconut milk), to taste.
  4. Mash: Using a fork or potato masher, mash some of the chickpeas to thicken the gravy and make it creamy. If substituting lemon juice, add it now. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Mix in the minced cilantro. If the chana is too wet, let it simmer over medium-low until thickened to your liking.
  5. To make the chana kathi rolls: heat the roti on a dry skillet until warm, then add chana. Top with red onion, minced chilies, and cilantro. Roll up the bread (like a burrito without the ends folded in) and enjoy! Optional: add aachar or chutney.

Notes

  • This recipe is created by Eva Agha of The Curious Chickpea
  • Roti: Roti means bread and refers to a range of Indian flatbreads. Kathi rolls are traditionally made using parathas, but I prefer making chapati or pukla style roti as it’s simpler and less indulgent. These breads can be purchased frozen or refrigerated at Indian grocery stores, or you can make them yourselves (I will be sharing my roti recipe shortly!). Alternatively you can serve this with naan or a Western style flatbread (my recipe here) or even store bought tortillas.
  • Spices: Most of these Indian spices are found at your local grocery store. Amchoor (also spelled amchur) is a tart spice made from dried unripe mangoes and is a traditional ingredient in chana. There is no real substitute for it, but you can use fresh squeezed lemon juice instead–it will still be great. You can purchase amchoor at Indian grocery stores or online (Amazon or online Indian grocery stores).
  • Spice Level: the heat level of this dish will vary based on how spicy your peppers are. If you are sensitive to heat, you can remove the seeds from some or all of the peppers, but dice the flesh. I would recommend using the seeds from only 1-2 serrano peppers for a medium heat level.
  • To Serve: Sliced onion and minced hot chili peppers are the traditional finishing touches on kathi rolls. Soak the sliced onion in ice water for 10 minutes to lessen the sharp bite, or use pickled red onions instead.

Keywords: vegan indian rolls, vegan chana rolls, vegan kathi rolls, vegan flatbread rolls, chickpea flatbread, vegan chickpea curry

Find it online: https://frommybowl.com/chana-kathi-rolls-vegan/