Normally, Eating In is reserved for creating at-home recipes similar to dishes at restaurants within the Beltway. But during a recent trip to New York City, I was introduced to an Indian street food that I found completely irresistible. I'm convinced that a similar operation in late-night Adams Morgan would bring both Amsterdam Falafel and the Jumbo Slice to their knees.

The long line outside the Kati Roll Company's store front is an indicator that something more than worthwhile is happening through the doors. Inside, warm, buttery parathas encase various grilled meats, chutneys, and chilies. With the flip of a wrist, the man behind the counter stuffs a paratha and wraps it in aluminum foil to create the kati roll: protected from the elements, perfectly portable, and ready for the stumble home.

After an extensive search, I've been unable to find these treasures in the area. If you know where to find them, we'd love to hear about it in the comments below. But for now, I'm happy to make them at home.

Shopping List

4 Parathas
2 large chicken breasts

For the marinade
1 inch piece ginger grated
2 cloves garlic minced
1 t chili powder
¼ t turmeric
1 t salt
1 c plain yogurt
juice from one lemon
1 T chopped cilantro

For the chutney
1 bunch cilantro
½ bunch mint
juice of two lemons
½ small red onion
1 T sugar
1 t salt
¼ c water
2 inch piece ginger chopped
2 small green chilies chopped

For the garnish
red onion
fresh green chilies

Make a marinade by combining all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl. Dice the chicken breasts into one inch cubes and add to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least two, or up to 24 hours.

For optimal results, the chutney should be made in a blender. It's a bit more work to get the ingredients to combine, but the square-edged blade of a blender results in a smoother consistency. A food processor will work, but will cut the ingredients resulting in duller chutney. To make the cilantro chutney, combine all the ingredients in a blender. Add the ¼ cup water as needed and blend until it has a smooth consistency. You'll end up with more chutney than you need for the kati rolls, but this stuff tastes great on everything short of chocolate cake and will keep in your refrigerator for up to five days.

Slice the rest of the red onion thinly and sauté in olive oil with salt and pepper over medium high heat. Cook until limp and slightly browned and set aside.

Thread the marinated chicken on skewers just before cooking. Traditionally the chicken should be grilled over hot coals, but don't let that stop you from firing up your broiler, or even baking them if you don't have a grill. Grilling should take about 10 minutes-- or on a broiler slightly longer, depending on your set-up. Go for a slight smokey char, but take care not to overcook as small cubes of chicken breast can turn to rubber in a hurry.

With all your ingredients cooked, it's time to begin assembly. I decided to mimic what I saw at the Kati Roll Company and found it to work nicely. Parathas don't conform around ingredients as nicely as a tortilla, but using wax paper and foil, you can make the process much more manageable. Cut four pieces of each slightly larger than a paratha. Divide the chicken up between four parathas and top as desired with sautéed onions, chutney, and freshly sliced chilies for a little extra heat. Roll, using the wax paper first too keep them from splitting, leaving the ends of the paratha open. Finish by wrapping the entire kati roll in foil. Fold the foil ends to prevent dripping and to keep your nugs in place. Just don't try to pound one on the Metro. Chicken tikka meet kati roll – no matches required.