Indian street food
What is a Bombay frankie?
A Bombay frankie is a Mumbai street roll: a soft, warm flatbread rolled around a spiced filling, tangy chutneys and crunchy onions. It is handheld, filling and fast.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 2 min read
Wrapper
Warm flatbread
Filling
Spiced, with chutney
Style
Mumbai street roll
Eaten
By hand, hot
01
What is in a frankie
The wrapper is a roti or soft flatbread, toasted lightly on a griddle. The filling is a savoury mixture, such as spiced potato, paneer or vegetables, seasoned with a tangy masala. Onion rings, cabbage, green chutney and tamarind chutney finish it.
02
Frankie vs wrap
A frankie is more tightly rolled and more heavily spiced than a standard wrap, and it is built around Indian chutneys and masala rather than lettuce and sauces. The bread is warm and soft, and the filling is hot.
03
How it tastes
Soft bread, then a savoury, spicy and tangy filling, with raw onion and chutney cutting through for freshness. It is the handheld version of a chaat plate, and a meal in itself.
04
Variations
The frankie format is endlessly adaptable:
- Aloo tikki frankie, with a crisp potato patty.
- Paneer frankie, with spiced cottage cheese.
- Noodle and Manchurian frankie, an Indo-Chinese fusion.
- Schezwan frankie, with a fiery chilli sauce.
05
Rolls at Tapri Chai
Our Rolls section includes a Bombay Frankie ($9.99), a Mumbai street-style roll with a spiced filling, tangy chutneys and fresh veggies, and a Crispy Paneer Roll ($9.99), crispy fried paneer wrapped in a soft flatbread. Find us at 200 Kennevale Dr in Barrhaven, Ottawa.
Questions, answered.
What is a frankie?
A Mumbai street roll made by wrapping a spiced filling and chutneys in a warm flatbread.
Is a frankie the same as a kathi roll?
They are similar. The kathi roll comes from Kolkata, while the frankie is the Mumbai version.
Is a frankie spicy?
It is moderately spiced, with heat that comes from chutney and masala.
Is a frankie vegetarian?
The fillings at Tapri Chai are, since the whole kitchen is vegetarian.
How much is a frankie at Tapri Chai?
Bombay Frankie is $9.99 CAD, and the Crispy Paneer Roll is $9.99 CAD.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.