Paneer Kathi Roll

Paneer Kathi Roll is a Indian wrap with a filling of marinated and pan-fried paneer (Indian cheese), plenty of veggies and green chutney (mint chutney/ cilantro chutney). Though originated on the streets and restaurants, Paneer Kathi Roll is a staple & more popular in the Indian households, especially with kids. These go well in the school/ office lunch boxes, make for a great party appetizer and can be enjoyed anytime for a meal.

About Paneer Kathi Roll

The original street style Kathi Roll is made using a flaky all-purpose flour parotta. Plenty of vegetable shortening is used to give it a distinct light & flaky texture. But home cooks like me have been making these with wheat flour/atta and lesser oil/ghee to make them healthier.

In this post I share how to make Paneer Kathi Roll from scratch which includes making flaky wheat paratha, paneer filling and assembling. If you don’t have the time to go through the entire process, you may use store bought frozen parathas and use a pesto/sauce.

You can use any kind of flatbreads here – roti, chapati, parotta, tortillas, all work well. Even more you can use any kind of dinner rolls, bread or bun & make paneer sliders.

If you are making these for school and office, it is good to make regular roti as the flaky parathas take more time. I have shown just one way of making the filling. But you can make it many ways (see variations section below).

Here are the components of this recipe

• Paratha/ roti/ dinner rolls – use store bought frozen or make from my recipe below (takes about 40 mins)
• You need a green chutney like mint chutney or coriander chutney or use store bought (like a hot sauce, pesto, schezwan sauce, Greek yogurt or any other spread)
• Make the paneer filling – Takes about 20 mins
• Assembling takes about 10 minutes

How to Make Paneer Kathi Roll (Stepwise Photos)

Here I am also showing how to make flaky wheat flour parathas used to wrap the paneer filling. If you have premade rotis or you are using frozen parathas, simply skip this section and scroll down to make the filling.

Make Parotta

1. This recipe makes for 4 large parathas. If you want to make chapati/roti, you willbe able to make about 6. To a mixing bowl or a food processor, add

• 1½ cups wheat flour/ atta
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
• ⅓ cup warm water (more as needed)

2. Mix together to form a dough, adding more water as needed. Knead to make a smooth and really soft dough. Cover and rest this for at least 10 mins. Later divide the dough to 4 portions to make layered paratha or 6 portions to make chapati. I am making 4 large layered paratha.

3. To a small bowl, add 2 tbsps of flour and keep aside. Dust your rolling area lightly with flour and dip your dough ball in flour, shake off to remove excess. Roll it to a even chapati. If you want to make only chapati (not parathas), simply make all the chapatis and go down to the frying instructions below. If you want to make paratha, spread oil all over the chapati and sprinkle little flour (2 to 3 pinches) as shown below.

4. Begin to make pleats (¾ inch) from one end to the other as seen in the above picture. Once you are done, begin to roll, starting from one end as shown above. Continue to roll till you reach the other end.

5. Tuck the other end to the center (top or bottom) and flatten the disc with your fingers.

6. Dust flour and roll it to a 8 inch paratha. When you are done with rolling, heat a skillet/ tawa on a medium flame. When the pan is hot, regulate the flame to medium high and transfer the paratha. Within a minute, you will see bubbles, turn it to the other side and spread 1 tsp oil or ghee all over and reduce the heat slightly. Press down with a spatula especially on the edges and turn to & fro to cook well until you see brown spots. Overcooking on low heat can make them hard. Remove them to a plate lined with a cloth/tissue and stack them.

Make the Filling

7. Here are the ingredients required for the filling:

• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (cut down for kids)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (more to adjust if you want)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon chaat masala
• ⅓ to ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste, cut down if your paneer is salted)
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional)
• 250 grams (9 oz) paneer diced to small cubes (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons Greek Yogurt (you can make it from this hung curd post)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (optional, not pictured below)

8. To a mixing bowl, add all the above ingredients except paneer. Mix well and taste test. Adjust salt and spice levels to your preference. Add the paneer & mix gently. Cover and rest until we prepare the rest. You can marinate this up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

9. When you are ready to make the Paneer Kathi Rolls, cook the frozen parathas (if not making fresh) following the instructions on your pack.

10. Prepare the following:

• 2 tablespoons cilantro chutney or thick mint chutney or any sauce or Greek yogurt
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced to make 1 cup
• 1 cup bell peppers sliced very thin (use a mix of colors or use zucchini)
• Peel and cut 1 small carrot to make ½ cup julienned or matchsticks (optional)
• Make pickled onions (optional) – Add another ¼ cup sliced onions, 2 sliced green chilies (optional, omit for kids), a pinch of salt to a small bowl & squeeze 1 small lemon. Mix and set aside.

11. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and add the onions, carrots and bell peppers. Sauté them on a high heat until they lose the raw flavor, for 3 to 4 mins. Remove them to a plate.

12. Add the marinated paneer to the same hot pan and spread them in a single layer. I didn’t use any oil here, since the marinade has it.

13. Let cook until the marinade no more tastes raw, for about 4 to 5 mins, stirring half way. Do not stir a lot as the paneer can break, instead toss or turn them with a tong.

14. Add the bell pepper onion mixture and mix well with the paneer. Taste test and add a sprinkle of salt, garam masala and red chili powder for more heat if you want. Mix well and turn off. Cool down slightly. If you want your filling to be a bit more moist, simply cover and rest for 3 to 4 mins, later mix it.

Assemble Paneer Kathi Roll

15. Place the paratha on a tray/plate. Spread the chutney. If you are making this ahead to serve later or to pack in the lunch-box, don’t spread green chutney, instead drizzle it on top of the filling, before rolling. Add paneer in the center, followed by some pickle sliced onions & green chilies. If you want you can add any other sauce you want.

16. Bring the sides to the center and wrap them in a parchment paper. If you don’t have a paper, simply spread the chutney on the edges and assemble the kathi roll.

You can store these Paneer Kathi Rolls in a air tight steel container/ box (without parchment) and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat them until really hot. I do it in the Instant pot (pressure cook) by placing the whole box (with a lose lid), for 4 to 5 mins and release the pressure manually after 5 mins. I guess the same works on stovetop steamer or cooker (without whistle).

Filling Variations

You can also make the paneer filling by following any of these – garlic paneer, paneer jalfrezi, Pan fried paneer, Tandoori Paneer tikka or use this paneer bhurji.

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