Oh, Calcutta! Hicksville gets kati rolls
Kati (Aminia) rolls at Aminia of Calcutta in Hicksville Credit: Newsday / Joan Reminick
A great pick-me-up is the Indian street food wrap known as the kati roll: tandoor-baked paratha bread enfolding nuggets of chicken that have been marinated, tandoor-grilled and finally pan-sauteed with onions, peppers and more spices.
Lucky Long Island, since now, authentic Mughli-style kati rolls are up for grabs at a new Hicksville cafe, Aminia of Calcutta.
The modest 16-seat spot is owned by Shariq Ali, whose great-grandfather founded the first Aminia of Kolkata (a 400-seat giant) back in India in 1929. Ali says the original place is still going strong and just may be Calcutta’s biggest eatery.
Here in Hicksville, the kati roll is called an “Aminia” roll and features either chicken or mutton (the mutton wasn’t available when I went for lunch). You can get yours with or without a thin layer of egg. While I’m a fan of both versions, I favor the one with egg (called an “anda” roll), since the addition imparts a certain lushness to the well-spiced (but not incendiary) roll-up.
At $2.50 for a chicken roll and $3 for the chicken anda roll, a better bang for the buck would be hard to come by.
Aminia of Calcutta (which also serves curries and kebabs) is at 253 S. Broadway, Hicksville, 516-605-0575.
Newsday photo of Aminia rolls/Joan Reminick
