When it comes to rolls, Kolkata rocks

I was at the Maurya Sheraton in Delhi recently for a spate of meetings. And having dashed straight from the airport I was famished. Before I embarked on the first meeting I had to grab a bite. It was logical because don't want to concentrate on food when you are discussing something acutely important. When asked what options I had I was told I should most definitely try the kati roll.My Kolkatan instincts made sure I needed no further persuasion. Frankly, I was disappointed. It was nowhere near the rolls I am accustomed to in my city. Whether it is the Badshah of my school days or Nizams or Gupta's or Kusum's, roll is a Kolkata delicacy that no city in India can replicate.
Firstly, the thickness of the paratha is something most don't get right. It is either too thin or too dry. For the roll to taste real good the paratha has to be slightly thicker than normal. This depends on the consistency of the dough and how you make it. Then is the question of oil. If you want to have a roll you should be prepared to have a little oil for a change. Some things just don't taste the same if made really healthy. The oil content in the paratha should be adequate to ensure it doesn't taste dry in the mouth. Rather, a perfectly well made paratha melts away at first bite. Now comes the critical part- if you wish to have a chicken roll the quality can be ascertained by the size of the chicken pieces, their tenderness and finally the taste. A roll place worth its reputation will put in a substantial helping of chicken. To see the maker take the chicken out from a sheek and put them in a pattern inside the paratha only helps increase the appetite. Once the chicken is neatly arranged from top to bottom in a linear sequence the onion and green peppers are put into the roll. Finally it's the green chilles and salt and a dash of lemon juice. For a good roll you have to have a few green chillies in it, enough for the aftertaste to linger on for a while.
In what we call our office para it is fun to see many a satisfied customer dig into rolls of their choice in the evenings. The first bite is inevitably followed up with a look of contentment, the roll starting to exude its charm.
Unlike in Kolkata where we have at least twenty different varieties of rolls, most other Indian cities have one or two bastardized variants. In Kolkata real hunger prompts you to opt for a double chicken roll. Or better still an egg chicken roll, which if done well can double up for dinner as well. And in the egg chicken roll it is imperative the egg is visible from outside of the paratha when you first take a look. It means it is a fulsome roll rather than the maker trying to be stingy.
These days the paneer roll has become a favorite for vegetarians and in this aspect too, the Kolkata eateries have the lead. There are quite a few varieties of vegetarian rolls available in Kolkata, which, it must be asserted isn't the case anywhere else in India.
Frankly, as an afternoon snack the roll has little parallel. A simple enough recipe of putting chicken cubes inside a paratha (for the chicken roll that is) and folding it for easy consumption has become a real delicacy over time. I have friends who have tried out the roll during their first visit to the city and have fallen in love with it. In fact, my wife and I have even made the egg chicken roll for friends in Toronto and needless to say it was a huge hit.
This is because the simplicity of the idea is its real trump card. You don't require exotic ingredients to start with. All that is needed is available in every household or can be bought from the nearest market within minutes. It takes minutes to prepare provided you have cooked the chicken in advance and it has the potential of giving a dull afternoon a real makeover. In fact, try having a roll if you haven't had lunch and see how your mood lifts. It is often therapeutic and that, more than anything else, is its USP.
Finally, it must be stated that the one item that has a ubiquitous presence in Bengal's culinary landscape is the roll. Every para in every suburban town will have a roll shanty and every fair or mela will have roll counters outside. It is the food for all seasons in Bengal and cuts across class barriers in matters of affordability. Priced between thirty and fifty rupees, it costs less than a cup of corn in a multiplex!
(The writer is a journalist and author)