Chicken Frankie Recipe

This Chicken Frankie recipe is a very popular Mumbai street food/snack. These finger licking rolls are layered with omelet and juicy spiced chicken and onions. Wrap the rolls in some aluminum foil and pop a couple of them in your lunch bag for a meal on the go!

Love punchy, packed with flavor chicken recipes? Do take a look at chicken hakka noodles, an Indo-Chinese stir fry.

It's no secret that Indian street food is over-the-top delicious. Think aloo tikki, aloo chaat, spring rolls... all drool worthy snacks that will tickle your tastebuds and put your senses in a tizzy. And here's another really tasty snack that can double up as a filling lunch, one that both kids and adults will adore: Chicken Frankie Roll.

What makes it so tasty is the combination of eggs and boneless chicken nestled inside a flour paratha (flatbread). The chicken is cooked in onions, tomatoes, and a special Frankie masala: a mix of eight beautiful Indian spice powders.

🥘 Ingredients

Note: exact amounts are given in the recipe card further down.

Frankie masala

• red chilli powder
• coriander powder
• turmeric
• cumin powder
• pomegranate powder (anardana)
• mango powder (amchur)
• black salt (kala namak)
• garam masala

Chicken filling

• Cooking oil
• Onions, finely chopped
• Ginger, minced
• Garlic, minced
• Green chillies
• White vinegar
• Frankie masala
• Turmeric
• Coriander
• Red chilli powder
• Sea salt
• Tomato paste
• Boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces

Paratha (flatbread)

• Whole wheat flour
• All purpose flour (maida)
• Sea salt
• Yogurt
• Water, for kneading
• Cooking oil

Other ingredients

• Eggs
• Sea salt
• Red onions, sliced
• White vinegar

🔪 Instructions

Chicken Frankies are made in four broad steps.

1. Make the Frankie masala - Put all the spices in a jar with a lid and and shake until well mixed.

2. Make the chicken filling

• Heat the cooking oil in a saucepan or karahi and add the onions. Fry on medium heat until golden brown.
• Add the ginger and garlic, green chillies, vinegar, Frankie masala, turmeric, coriander, red chilli powder, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add a splash of water so the spices don't burn.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the chicken and cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes. The chicken filling should be quite thick without much moisture.

3. Make the paratha or flatbread

• Put both the flours in a large bowl and the salt and yogurt. Mix with your hands until the flour resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add water little by little and knead the dough until it comes together in a firm but soft ball.
• Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and rest it for about 15 minutes.
• Take a moment to soak the onions in vinegar (under 'Other Ingredients), so they have time to absorb the vinegar.
• Knead the dough very briefly again until it is smooth and pliable.
• Break off equal sized portions and shape into balls.
• With the help of a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a flat and thin disc.
• Swirl a few drops of oil in a heated nonstick frypan (medium heat) and place a disc in the frypan gently. Wait for a few seconds, then flip. When a few brown spots start appearing on the disc, take off the heat. Repeat with the remaining discs. Stack the parathas on a plate and cover with a towel or lid so they don't dry out.

4. Assemble the Frankies

• Break the eggs in a bowl and add the salt. Whisk lightly with a fork.
• In the same frypan that you used for making the paratha, drop a tablespoon of egg and swirl it in the pan.
• Immediately place a cooked paratha over the egg so that it covers it completely. Wait a few seconds, then flip the paratha so the egg side faces you. Transfer the paratha onto a platter, egg side up. Repeat for all the parathas.
• Take one paratha and spoon out 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling on the edge of the paratha. Sprinkle a little Frankie masala, then top with some of the vinegar soaked onions. Roll up the paratha and wrap it tightly in some aluminum foil. Repeat with all the parathas until all the chicken filling has been used up. Your Chicken Frankie Rolls are ready!

💭 Top tips

• Make sure the chicken filling is dry with no watery gravy, or the rolls will become soggy and the paratha will fall apart.
• Keep the chicken bite-sized so you can roll the paratha easily.
• Don't overcook the chicken, especially if you are using breast meat as it tends to dry out if cooked too long. However, do make sure it is cooked through.
• Once you've assembled the Frankies, try and have them the same day. If meal prepping, cook the chicken and parathas in advance. Then, all you have to do for fresh Frankies is assemble them when you're ready to eat.
• You won't use all the frankie masala you made, but since this is a dry powder, it can be kept along with your other dry spices for many months without spoiling. Just remember to label it, or there's a chance you will forget what it is later!

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📖 Recipe