Kolachi cooks authentic Pakistani rolls, fries in East Village, Manhattan | Neighborhood Eats
EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- This week's Neighborhood Eats brings food lovers to Kolachi on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Located along 1st Avenue in the East Village, the couple-owned business aims to bring authentic Pakistani food to New York City.
Kiran Lutfeali and Saif Qazi opened Kolachi last November, and the food spot is home to a popular street food in Pakistan: the paratha roll.
"Rolls in Pakistan are basically a late night food," Lutfeali said. "I'd say it's our version of a cheeseburger, pizza slice or a taco."
Kolachi makes three kinds of paratha rolls: chicken, beef and plant-based. The protein is marinated with house spices before being grilled on skewers. Inside the roll, the protein is topped off with a yogurt-based, mint-cilantro sauce and some red onions.
Another signature menu item is Kolachi's diesel fries, which is an order of spiced French fries served with a side of maple syrup, providing a sweet and savory experience.
Growing up, Lutfeali says that when she got street fries, the cooking machine's generators would be powered by diesel oil.
"The smell of diesel was so overpowering that before you even got to the fries, you could smell the diesel before you could smell the food," she said. "It just became like a street name, and as kids we loved it."
Lutfeali tells people that one roll is a snack, while two rolls is a meal.
Customers can also get what Lutfeali calls the complete package, which consists of two paratha rolls and a side of diesel fries, all for under $20.
Kolachi is open until midnight every day.
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