Just before the lunch rush hits, the Kati Roll Company has the makings for their signature dish sizzling on the grill in anticipation of the hungry passersby.  Steaming skewers of grilled chicken, cheese, and beef top the grill and on an adjacent grill there is a huge mass of a spicy potato and peas mixture.  These are the main ingredients that can be found in a Kati Roll, a mixture of meats, vegetables and cheeses, marinated in a blend of spices, and rolled in an Indian flatbread.

The exterior of the flatbread is slick from oil and brown grill spots are scattered all over its malleable surface.   The achari paneer roll, a spicy cheese roll, is filled with large spongy cheese cubes and mixed with green peppers, tomatoes, red onions and a cilantro chutney.

These can be found at the Kati Roll Company, on MacDougal Street, in New York’s Greenwich Village.  It’s almost hidden by its second floor location, but if you take the trip up stairs you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Inside, a meager amount of seating lines the exposed brick wall and a giant picture menu hangs on the wall.  A man in the back kneads dough in an oversized aluminum mixing-bowl, while another mans the grill and a third man takes orders at the counter and assembles the rolls.

The menu is small and simple.  Two rolls makes a meal and one makes a good snack.  Personally two is much too much for me.  But as is sometimes the case, buying in bulk can save money.  Rolls cost between $3 and $6 and if you buy two of the same roll, you’ll get a $1 discount.

Ordering is simple even if you are a first-timer; just pick a filling – potato, beef, chicken, lamb, egg and combinations thereof – and wait.  Prep time can take about 5 minutes, so don’t pop in if you are in a rush.

The Kati Roll gets its origins as an Indian street food and comes from the Kolkata region.   The Kati Roll Company’s Web site states, “street food is still an integral part of Indian life and, though served from a diner rather than a pushcart, The Kati Roll Company upholds this essential Indian tradition.”

Other notable rolls are the aloo masala roll, made with a spicy potato mixture, and the chicken tikka roll.  In my opinion, the chicken has the best, combination of flavors.  The chicken is char-grilled and toped with cooked red onions, the flatbread is lightly brushed with a cilantro chutney/spice mixture that gives the roll that Indian taste.

I recommend stopping by the Kati Roll Company for a shopping day snack or an inexpensive lunch.  Look for them in the Village or their second location in Midtown on West 39th Street.  They also have one location in London.