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Vegetable frankie
Mumbai's rolled chapati with spiced potato, onion and tangy masala water
The frankie was born on the streets of Mumbai and soon moved into the city's tiffin boxes: a soft flour roti wrapped around a spiced potato filling, sprinkled with a tangy chaat-masala vinegar and raw onion, then rolled in paper. Children eat it for lunch and after school, and parents tone down the chilli. This version is vegan; it contains gluten (wheat flour). Chef's tip: just a few drops of the masala water per roll; it should taste tangy, not make the roti soggy.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rotis
- 7 oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
- ¾ tsp saltdivided
- 3 tbsp sunflower oildivided
- ½ cup waterroughly
For the filling
- 3 potatoesabout 450 g, boiled, peeled and mashed
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powderor less for children
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
For the masala water and topping
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- ½ red onionvery thinly sliced
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 7 oz plain flour with half of ⅜ tsp salt, 1 tbsp of 1 tbsp sunflower oil and enough ½ cup water to make a soft dough. Knead for 3 minutes until smooth, cover and rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp of 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion for 5 minutes, until soft and golden. Stir in 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute, until it no longer smells raw.
6 minStep 3: Add ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala and the rest of ⅜ tsp salt, then 3 potatoes and 2 tbsp fresh coriander. Mix and cook for 3 minutes until the potato is evenly yellow and hot. Divide into 4 logs.
3 minStep 4: Stir together 1 tbsp white vinegar, 3 tbsp water and half the 1 tsp chaat masala in a small bowl.
Step 5: Divide the dough into 4 and roll each into a thin 20 cm round. Cook on a hot tawa over a medium-high heat for 1 minute a side, brushing with the rest of 1 tbsp sunflower oil, until light brown spots appear.
8 minStep 6: Lay a potato log across each roti, sprinkle with a few drops of the masala water, a little ½ red onion and a pinch of the remaining chaat masala, then roll up tightly. Too much masala water is the common mistake; it turns the roll soggy by lunchtime.
Step 7: Wrap the bottom half of each roll in paper or foil to serve. For the tiffin, cool completely, wrap and pack with an ice pack; eat the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable frankie take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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