Katti Kebab Company, Egmore, Chennai

First came Tic Tac where the current Ispahani Center stands that served up the Katti rolls, then came TIbbs, followed by Frankie which is found outside Nilgiris and near Fruit Shop on Greams road. And then I visited the Katti roll shop on RK Salai, near Tandoori Tadakka and finally this new one that has come in Wellington Plaza, Egmore [ the complex with Milky way and Donut House].  

Called "Katti Kebab Company" owned by Mr Arjan Mahtani. It is located right at the end of the complex, behind Ponnuswamy Hotel and other places. A fairly large place, there isnt much ambiance. But as Mr Mahtani says, the food speaks for itself. When I was chatting with him, I learnt that he has lived nearly 20 yrs in New York and started this place about a month ago. He mentioned he has brought down guys from Calcutta when he set up this outlet. Another interesting trivia about him is that he also owns the Mainland China on Cenotaph road and is involved in Quiznos which is managed by his brother.

The place is air-conditioned and there are a few chairs and a row of sofas to sit in. There is a small kitchen atop the small flight of stairs and that is where the rolls are created.  There is also a fridge with aerated drinks and water and a bubble top as well. Simple ambiance, but when you pick up the menu card you are in for a surprise. It is quite extensive, there are over 30 kinds of Katti rolls here, and quite a few options for Vegetarians as well and there is an entire section for Eggatarians. 

The 1st roll i opted for was the Paneer with Egg roll, it was delicious. Made with maida parotta, the filling was good, and it had a lovely touch of Black salt. The masala was not over the top and the heat factor was just right. You can choose low, medium or very spicy. Similarly, when you order a katti roll, you can choose either Maida or Wheat [Additional Rs10], and for egg, you can opt for egg white only[Additional Rs15].

The other thing I was totally fascinated by was that the rolls were NOT OILY at all.. There was no oozing oil, or that weird feeling in your mouth. Big Thumbs Up!! 

During the few hours we were there, I did try few other veg options- Plain aloo [ yummy], wheat roll with mix vegetables and egg, wheat roll with potato and channa [yumm], and palak paneer in maida parotta [ quite good, it had a strong aroma of lemon, but it wasnt strong in the filling] .. 

A good place to grab lunch or maybe pick up few rolls if you are headed on a drive, or for a movie!! 

The price starts at Rs90 and goes on up to Rs150.. Neatly wrapped in white paper, these rolls are good even after a few minutes, it dint become chewy or dry. 

  

Address:

GF 16, Wellington Estate, 

Opposite Ethiraj College, Behind Ponnusamy hotel

Egmore, Chennai

Ph- 044 60501230, 044 60501232

Disclaimer:The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

Hunger pangs and an Eggless Strawberry Yogurt Cake

I was feeling like a snack, but it was one where i wanted to eat fruits. I opened and stood in front of the fridge for a few minutes, discovered a box of chopped papaya and a box of fresh strawberries. Had a light bulb moment, why not i make something with the strawberries, milk/yoghurt and maida at home. And for some reason, was in the mood to bake. There flew my urge for a snack. 

I started looking on the net for simple interesting recipes, when i stumbled upon the Eggless Strawberry Yoghurt cake on my friend Saffrontrail’s blog. That was it, it looked mighty easy, and i had all the ingredients, but jam [which i could pick up from the store a minute away from home]

Here is the recipe from her blog:

Ingredients

¾ cup yogurt

¼ cup milk (i used regular milk )

¼ cup rice bran oil ( i used cooking oil, dint have rice bran at home)

¾ cup sugar

2 generous tablespoons of strawberry or mixed fruit jam (mixed fruit jam it was)

1 tsp Strawberry essence or mixed fruit essence (had to settle for vanilla extract 1 tsp)

1.5 cups all purpose flour OR 1 cup AP flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

Roughly 1 cup finely diced strawberries [ I set aside a few berries for decoration but ended up eating them as the cake baked :-) ]

Handful of tutti-frutty (optional- i dint have these either)

Directions

In one bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, milk, sugar and jam.

In another big bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well. Add the whisked wet ingredients. Fold until they come together.

*Note: Over enthusiastic beating / whisking is better avoided.

Towards the end, fold in chopped berries and tutti-fruity.

A small variation here:

Saffrontrail recommends baking in oven, now i again had only a microwave and have baked a eggless chocolate cake earlier, which turns out delicious every time. So, going with my gut feel, decided to try the same for this cake as well and must say, not disappointed. The cake was yummy, a tad dry in the middle [wonder why] but otherwise soft and bursting with strawberry flavour….

I used a microwave proof glass bowl, and baked it for 8minutes on high.. :-)

If you have an oven [lucky you, follow the below mentioned steps to bake the cake]

Scrape the batter into the greased tin / silicon mould and bake at 180 C for around 45-55 minutes, checking with a tester if it comes out clean.

After 10 minutes, un-mould and cool on a wire rack.

Finally, cut into wedges, dust with icing sugar and serve with tea/coffee or just devour it as a dessert. 

Bon Apettit...