Frankies

 

Frankies

 

Frankies, the street food much loved in India, are a chicken or meat roll, wrapped up in a rotli, roti, or even a paratha, any flat bread soft enough to make a wrap. It has a plethora of flavours, from aromatic spices to something to bring out the sour. To serve it up, throw in some thinly sliced onions tossed with green coriander and finely chopped green chillies, and even a bit of the tamarind chutney that is sweetened with dates (or jaggery), and you have that spicy, sweet, and sour punch with the crunch of the onion and cabbage! The authentic street vendor applies an egg wash on one side of the roti while he reheats the flat bread (with the help of some oil) that has been cooked before spooning on the filling on the egg side up.

Being a street food, it is safe to say there is no perfect recipe for this, just your taste buds left wanting more. Here is my take on the same. Adjust what you want, the way you prefer. The end result is a gift with a burst of fulfilling flavours straight off the streets of India.

Makes 24 Frankies 

Chicken Marinade

3lb/ 1 1/2 kg Chicken thighs in small pieces; skinless, boneless

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp salt 

2 tbsp oil

Masala Mix

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp freshly grated garlic

1 1/2 tbsp amchoor powder

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp finely chopped green chillies

1 cup of fried onions, finely chopped

 2 large tomatoes, crushed

1 tbsp tomato paste

pinch of sugar

1 raw green mango, peeled and finely chopped

1 '2 cup freshly chopped coriander 

3 leaves fresh mint leaves finely chopped

1/2 a lime, juiced

Marinate the chicken with the spices for 4 to 24 hours. In a preheated oven, cook for 30 minutes until just cooked through. Bring the chicken to room temperature prior to cooking.

 

In a large pot/karhai/wok, heat a generous tablespoon of ghee and add the masala in sequence, bringing the first 4 together for a minute before adding the rest. Allow it all to cook for about 10 minutes. The aroma will be fragrant and there will be small beads of oil around the edges, showing that it has cooked through.

Now add the cooked chicken and give it a good mix. Simmer for 10 minutes, covered and on a low fire.

 

 

Tips

Serve as a roll or wrap, or with warm rotli, chapatis, or paratha on the sides, or with warm bread rolls.

sliced onions tossed with coriander and sprinkled with salt.

A thinly sliced cabbage like coleslaw very lightly dressed with vinaigrette.

A tamarind and date chutney.

Use oil while heating the rotli of choice.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.