On many evenings I am stuck with one single conundrum, ‘what to make for dinner’! Sounds familar right? Day after day, evening after evening thinking of making 3 square meals a day. That in itself is reward-worthy, I mean just coming up with a menu. I know, not many people recognize or acknowledge that. Unfortunately wholesome cooked meals don’t grow on trees. Moreover we have to always balance and use up all the perishable items in the refrigerator. On one such day the recipe of paneer frankie came to my rescue.
Frankies are basically a kind of roll sold as street food in India. Of the many types of street foods we have in our diverse nation frankie is one of them. Paneer frankie is specially famous liked and enjoyed by many. A simple paneer gravy is made and this filled into rotis/chapathis. Then it is topped with some fun things like onions and some flavourful masalas. Some cooling yogurt seals the deal and the paneer frankie.
Paneer frankie is a very popular street food in Mumbai. It is similar to a Kolkata kathi roll and frankies generally have a gravy like filling. Try out the aloo paneer kathi roll, a Kolkata special recipe. For this gravy I have added a little cream to the gravy. But you can add cashew nut paste as well along with some creamy yogurt to finish it off. Also, you can use maida rotis too instead of whole wheat rotis or chapathis. Try some more recipes in the same vein:
Kathi roll
Chapathi Rolls
Tortilla Pockets
And of course some fun paneer recipes, paneer manchurian, paneer paratha, paneer tikka.
- 1 big or 2 small tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 2 finely chopped shallots
- 1 green chilli
- ½" ginger
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- ½ Tbsp coriander powder/dhania powder
- 1 Tsp garam masala
- ½ Tsp red chilli powder/lal mirch
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- Salt to taste
- ½ Tsp sugar
- 100 Gm fresh paneer
- 1 Tbsp cream
- Coriander leaves to garnish
- Few rotis/chapathis
- Little ghee/butter to roast the rotis/chapathis
- Sliced onions
- Few dollops of yogurt/beaten curd
- Chaat masala to sprinkle
- Roasted jeera powder to sprinkle
- In a mixer jar, add diced tomatoes and make into a puree, keep aside
- Heat oil in a pan, add chopped shallots and saute till transparent
- Crush green chilli, ginger and garlic and add to the onions
- Saute till raw smell disappears
- Next add all masalas, dhania powder, red chilli powder and garam masala
- Mix everything well
- Next add tomato puree and mix well
- Add tomato ketchup and mix well
- Season with salt and sugar
- Adjust consistency by adding 2 Tbsp of water
- Bring to a light boil
- Swirl a Tbsp of cream into the gravy and mix well
- Dice paneer and add to the tomato gravy, add little chopped coriander
- Mix everything very well and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame
- Garnish with chopped coriander
- To make paneer frankie, add butter onto a tawa
- Roast the rotis/chapathis till lightly warm and crisp
- Place a big spoonful of paneer mixture along the centre, smear little masala on sides too
- Sprinkle jeera powder
- Place a few slices of onions along the masala
- Spoon little yogurt
- Sprinkle chaat masala on top
- Turn and roll the frankie
- Make all paneer frankie in the same way
- Serve immediately!
Adjust masalas as per your taste
You can use maida rotis too instead of whole wheat rotis or chapathis
Paneer Frankie Stepwise:
In a mixer jar, add diced tomatoes and make into a puree, keep aside
Heat oil in a pan, add chopped shallots and saute till transparent
Crush green chilli, ginger and garlic and add to the onions
Saute till raw smell disappears
Next add all masalas, dhania powder, red chilli powder and garam masala
Mix everything well
Next add tomato puree and mix well
Add tomato ketchup and mix well
Season with salt and sugar
Adjust consistency by adding 2 Tbsp of water
Bring to a light boil
Swirl a Tbsp of cream into the gravy and mix well
Dice paneer and add to the tomato gravy, add little chopped coriander
Mix everything very well and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame
Garnish with chopped coriander
To make paneer frankie, add butter onto a tawa
Roast the rotis/chapathis till lightly warm and crisp
Place a big spoonful of paneer mixture along the centre, smear little masala on sides too
Sprinkle jeera powder
Place a few slices of onions along the masala
Spoon little yogurt
Sprinkle chaat masala on top
Turn and roll the frankie
Make all paneer frankie in the same way
Serve immediately!
