Vegetable Rolls with Chutney

March 10, 2017

Bombay frankie is an Indian street classic. Spiced potato rolls are coated in chickpea batter, deep-fried until golden and wrapped in a thick pancake together with fresh coriander chutney, chopped onion, grated carrot and shredded lettuce. The result is a kind of Indian wrap — filling, spiced and easy to eat with your hands.

The potato filling gets its flavour from garam masala, green chilli, fresh coriander and lime. The chutney is coconut-based and provides freshness and acidity to balance the fried rolls. The pancake is not a thin crêpe but a slightly thicker version fried in ghee, so it can hold the filling without falling apart.

The dish requires a bit of preparation because there are three elements to make, but everything comes together quickly at the end. Mash the potatoes while they are hot — it makes them easier to shape into rolls.

Ingredients

Serves 6

5 potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 tbsp coriander leaves, freshly chopped
2 green chillies, seeds removed, chopped
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp garam masala
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
oil, for deep-frying

Chutney

1 large bunch coriander leaves
3 green chillies, seeds removed, chopped
1 tsp sugar
0.25 tsp salt
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
0.5 lime, juice of

Batter

50 g chickpea flour (besan)
175 g plain flour
3 dl water
chilli powder, a little
1 tsp baking powder
3 dl milk
salt
ghee (or vegetable oil), for frying

Garnish

1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
0.25 lettuce, shredded

Directions

Chutney

Pick the coriander leaves from the stems.

Blend the leaves into a coarse paste together with chilli, sugar, salt, desiccated coconut and lime juice. This can be done in a mortar, blender or food processor.

Set the chutney aside.

Potato rolls

Mix the mashed potatoes with chopped coriander, chilli, lime juice, garam masala, salt and pepper.

Shape the mixture into rolls of about 2.5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length. Aim for 12 pieces.

Refrigerate the rolls while you make the batters — they are easier to handle when cold.

Batter for the rolls

Mix the chickpea flour with 50 g of the plain flour in a bowl.

Whisk in the water a little at a time to make a smooth batter without lumps. The consistency should be like thick pancake batter — it should cling to the rolls without running off.

Season with salt and a pinch of chilli powder.

Pancake batter

Mix the remaining plain flour (125 g) with baking powder and a pinch of salt.

Whisk in the milk to make a smooth batter without lumps.

Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Cook the pancakes

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and melt a little ghee or oil in it.

Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and tilt so the batter covers the base. It should be thicker than a French crêpe — around 3–4 mm.

Cook the pancake until the underside is golden brown, about 1–2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side.

Stack the pancakes on a plate and cover with a clean tea towel so they stay warm and soft.

Deep-frying and assembly

Heat the oil for deep-frying to 350°F (180°C) in a deep pan.

Dip a potato roll in the chickpea batter so it is coated all the way around. Let excess batter drip off.

Carefully lower the roll into the hot oil. Fry 2–3 rolls at a time — too many at once lowers the temperature.

Turn them during frying and cook until golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes.

Remove the rolls with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper.

Place a pancake on a plate. Spread a thin layer of chutney over it.

Place a potato roll in the centre and top with a little chopped onion, grated carrot and shredded lettuce.

Fold the pancake around the roll and serve immediately, while the roll is still crisp.

Notes

Preparation time: about 40 minutes. Frying time: 10–15 minutes.

The potatoes must be well mashed so the rolls hold together. Cook them peeled in salted water until completely tender, then mash them thoroughly straight away.

The chickpea batter may seem thin, but it thickens slightly when it hits the hot oil. If it slides right off the rolls, whisk in a little more chickpea flour.

If you have leftovers, the rolls can be reheated in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5–6 minutes to make them crispy again. The pancakes keep best wrapped in a tea towel and warmed briefly in a dry pan.

To make the dish milder, remove the seeds from all the chillies and use only one in both the filling and chutney.