Nizam's — Indian Hospitality Magazine
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Nizam's

Hogg Market's 92-year kathi roll pioneer — the invention that became Kolkata's most portable food

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Nizam family

Founder · Est. 1932 · New Market (Hogg Market), Kolkata

Nizam's has been serving kathi rolls from the vicinity of New Market since 1932 and is widely credited with inventing the kathi roll — the rolled paratha wrapped around spiced kebab meat, egg, and onions that has become one of India's most popular street foods. The origin story is specific: when customers at Nizam's kebab stall found the kebabs inconvenient to eat while walking through New Market, the kitchen wrapped them in parathas. The kathi roll was born.

The invention spread from Nizam's stall to carts across Kolkata, from Kolkata to Delhi and Mumbai, and from India to the world — the kathi roll is now served in restaurants from London to New York. Nizam's original, however, remains at its New Market address, still wrapping kebabs in parathas using the technique and recipes that started ninety-two years ago.

The New Market location is essential to the brand: the commercial energy of Kolkata's oldest covered market, the foot traffic of shoppers and tourists, and the history of a marketplace that has been operating since the British period. Nizam's serves this foot traffic a product that was designed for foot traffic.

Nizam's — additional image

“We did not set out to invent a food category. We were just trying to make the kebab easier to eat while walking. The world took it from there.”

What Defines Nizam's

Mutton Kathi Roll— The original: seekh kebab wrapped in egg-washed paratha with onions and sauce. The invention.
Chicken Roll— The chicken variant of the kathi roll — the lighter alternative.
Double Egg Roll— The vegetarian-adjacent option: paratha with two eggs, onions, and sauce.
Beef Roll— The beef variant — available in Kolkata where beef is legally sold.
Paneer Roll— The vegetarian kathi roll — paneer replacing the meat, maintaining the wrapped format.

The Experience

Nizam's is counter service or very limited seating. You order at the counter, you receive your roll wrapped in paper, and you eat it standing or walking — which is exactly how the kathi roll was designed to be consumed. The experience is the roll itself: hot, freshly assembled, and consumed in the context of New Market's commercial energy.

Rated & Reviewed By

Condé Nast Traveller India · Zomato 4.0★ · Times Food Heritage · Lonely Planet

Editorial Notes

  • Nizam's is credited with inventing the kathi roll — one of India's most commercially significant street food innovations.
  • The New Market address is the historical location; the context of the marketplace is part of the brand.
  • The kathi roll's global spread — from Kolkata street stall to international restaurant menu — is a significant food-globalisation case study.
  • Mandatory curriculum reference for hospitality students studying street food innovation and product portability design.

Getting There

Nearest Metro: Esplanade (Blue Line, 5-minute walk to New Market). The shop is near Hogg Market/New Market, central Kolkata.