Frankie Recipe (Bombay Veg Frankie Roll) - Spice Up The Curry (2024)

This veg frankie recipe is one of the most loved Indian street food! Whole wheat roti or chapati is layered with spiced mashed potato rolls, green chutney, chopped onions, pickled green chilies, and frankie masala. This easy Indian frankie roll is one of the TASTIEST ways to enjoy Bombay (Mumbai) street food.

My non-Indian friends would call it ‘Indian burrito’ or ‘Bombay burrito’ or ‘Indian wrap’. Learn how to make frankie at home with the step by step photos below.

Veg Frankie Roll (aka Indian Burrito)

This veg frankie roll is one of my favorite splurge snack recipes. Though normally I don’t make them as a snack, we actually eat them for dinner.

Really this is good served any time of the day. Snack, breakfast, lunch or dinner they are always sure to satisfy your Indian food cravings.

Actually, this is not a burrito, but because it is wrapped like a burrito is made. Hence you can call it Indian burrito or Bombay burrito.

There may be a few steps (different elements) to make this frankie at home. But I am telling you it is easy to make and end result is so worth it. In the end, I have provided a list of alternatives, substitution. It will cut down the cooking time in almost half yet tastes fantastic. So don’t forget to check that out.

Frankie vs Kathi roll

Both frankie recipe and kathi roll are popular all over India. They both look similar, ingredients used are almost the same but the taste is sure different. Also, the cooking method is slightly different, the addition of toppings have variations.

• Frankies are from Mumbai (Bombay) while kathi roll is from Kolkata (Calcutta).
• Stuffing for both made from boiled potatoes. In veg frankie, spiced mashed potato stuffing is shaped into a cylindrical log and again shallow fried into the oil. On another hand, kathi roll has boiled potato sabzi kind stuffing which has chunks of potatoes. Though different variations in stuffings are available in both like meat, paneer. In non-veg kathi rolls, a layer of egg is made on roti/chapati.
• Chopped onions and pickles green chilies are added as a topping in frankie wrap while thinly sliced onion, cabbage, carrot, capsicum mixture is used a topping for kathi roll.

The preparation of making frankie recipe is divided into parts

• Preparation (making toppings, frankie masala)
• Making frankie dough and cooking roti/chapati
• Making potato stuffing, shaping and shallow frying
• Assembling the frankie wrap

NOTE: The recipe ingredients below in recipe card is for 4 no. of veg frankies. But in the step by step photos, I have tripled the amount, so you will see I am making 12 of them.

Preparation:

• To make pickled green chili topping, combine sliced chilies and vinegar in a bowl. Keep it aside till needed.
  
• Boil the potatoes in instant pot or stove-top pressure cooker. Once cool to touch, peel the skin and mash them using a potato masher.
• Also, chop the onions and keep them ready.
• Make coriander chutney at home or buy it from the Indian grocery store or Amazon.
• To make frankie masala at home, you will need - red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, black salt and amchur powder
  
• Mix these spice powders in a bowl.
  

How to make Frankie dough and roti?

1) Take all purpose flour, wheat flour and salt in a bowl. Mix well.

2) Add oil and mix with your fingertips. Then start adding little water at a time and keep kneading till you get a soft, smooth dough. Cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes.

3) After the resting time, knead the dough again to smooth out. Then divide into 4 equal portions. Make smooth balls and flatten it between your palm.

4) Work with one flattened disc at a time and roll into 9-10 inch diameter circle. While rolling if it is sticking then you can use the dry flour.

5) Once you have few roti rolled up and ready, heat the pan/skillet on medium heat. Once hot place rolled roti. Once you see a few bubbles on top then flip and cook another side. We are partially cooking the rotis. We’ll do the rest of the cooking at the time of assembling.

6) Remove it to a plate and cook rest of them similarly. Stack the cooked rotis and keep them covered.

How to make Frankie stuffing?

1) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add crushed ginger-garlic-green chili paste. Saute for 30-40 seconds or till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.

2) Then add frankie masala and red chili powder. Lower the heat so spices do not burn.

3) Mix and cook for 10-20 seconds only.

4) Immediately add boiled mashed potatoes.

5) Mix well so spices are mixed properly.

6) Turn off the stove and mix in chopped cilantro.

7) Once it is cool to touch, divide it into 4 equal portions and shape into a cylindrical log

How to make frankie roll? (Assembling)

1) Heat the pan on medium heat. Add a generous amount of oil and fry the potato rolls from all the sides till they get golden brown in color. Remove it to a plate.

2) Now add a teaspoon of oil and place the partially cooked roti and cook the bottom side. Apply oil and topside, flip and cook another side.

3) Place the cooked roti on a work surface.

4) Spread the green chutney and sprinkle frankie masala.

5) The place potato roll on one side, sprinkle chopped onions on top.

6) Then add a few pickled green chilies.

7) Then start rolling it from the potato roll side, and halfway through close the one side (bottom side). In short, make a roll by keeping the one side open and another bottom side closed.

If you prefer, wrap it in parchment paper and serve.

Substitutions to make it in less time:

• Instead of making homemade frankie roti, use the tortilla wrap or soft tacos (around 8-inch size). Do not use the large-sized one (12 inches).
• Use the store-bought green coriander chutney.
• Use the store-bough frankie masala. (It is easily available in Indian grocery stores. The brand name is Bombay magic frankie masala).

Variations:

• Make it a little healthier and meal-friendly by adding veggies as a topping. You can add thinly sliced cabbage, carrot, bell pepper.
• You can add stir-fried or oven-baked veggies (with few Indian spices) to make Indian burrito. e.g. cauliflower, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, mushrooms.
• You can add some spiced chickpeas, beans.

Check out more Indian street food recipes
Pav bhaji (instant pot version) // Bhel puri // Vada pav // Bombay sandwich (grilled) // Sev puri // Pani puri

Recipe Card